Zimpapers Logo

Crime Reporter

MDC-Alliance activist Martin William Chinyanga was on Tuesday arrested by the United Kingdom anti-terror police on terrorism charges following a video he released in December last year encouraging people to burn down service stations and businesses in Harare.

UK police raided and arrested Chinyanga for inciting terror.

According to reports, he was released on bail and barred from going within 100 metres of the Zimbabwean Embassy in London.

Part of the bail conditions read: “Not to post or support acts of violence online. To sign on at Islington Police Station every Sunday between 1400hrs and 1800hrs. No to approach/enter Zimbabwe Embassy or surrounding streets namely The Strand, Agar, William the 4th Street.”

A few hours after he was released, Chinyanga posted a video on his Facebook page confirming that he had been arrested and informing people about his bail conditions.

He confirmed that he had been barred from going near or entering the Zimbabwean Embassy.

Chinyanga was ordered not to make unnecessary statements.

He said about 20 police officers had raided his house at around 5am.

On December 1, last year, Chinyanga posted a video on his social media titled the roadmap to Zimbabwean freedom.

In the video, he encouraged people to burn buses, service stations, fuel tankers and buildings to exert “pressure” on the Government.

The video was reported to the UK authorities and they deemed it worth investigating.

According to reports, Chinyanga is being investigated for terrorist acts.

This is not the first time Chinyanga has been arrested in London.

In 2015, he was arrested and detained at London’s Charing Cross Police Station for being part of a group that conducted an illegal demonstration at the Zimbabwe Embassy.

According to reports, he was being questioned about trespassing and illegally entering the Zimbabwean Embassy thrice in less than three months.

Chinyanga was also detained for resisting arrest when he was picked up by that time.