Zimbabwe: Police arrest US citizen for Mugabe social media post Nov. 3

Event

​Zimbabwean police arrested a US citizen on Friday, November 3, for allegedly insulting President Robert Mugabe on Twitter. The arrested US citizen, who works for a television network specializing in political satire, referred to Mugabe as a "selfish and sick man" on Twitter, and alluded to Mugabe to be a "goblin." Zimbabwean police also reportedly charged the US citizen with conspiracy to overthrow the government. The US Embassy in Harare confirmed the arrest on Friday, and said it is monitoring the situation.

Context

Friday's arrest is the first made over derogatory statements against the Zimbabwean government on social media following the creation of the Ministry of Cyber Security in October. The US Embassy in Harare denounced the "deteriorating human rights situation" and the infringement of freedom of speech in the country earlier this year in February.

Mugabe came to power after Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 and, although now 93, has yet to name a successor. Despite serious health concerns, ZANU-PF again endorsed him as its candidate for the 2018 election. However the party has become divided over who will eventually succeed him. Meanwhile, the country's economy is in the midst of a worsening recession due in part to a lack of liquidity, and protests are common. Zimbabweans are often forced to wait long hours outside of banks to withdraw cash and the government is currently struggling to pay civil servants.

Advice

Individuals in Zimbabwe are advised to avoid talking about sensitive political topics in public and on social media.