Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court has ruled that the human rights activist Jestina Mukoko may not be prosecuted for terrorism.

The court said her rights had been violated when the authorities kidnapped and tortured her last year. The ruling now makes the way clear for similar charges against other imprisoned activists to be dropped.

Jestina Mukoko is the director of the Zimbabwe Peace project. The 54-year-old woman was seized from her house in 2008 by security agents, working for President Robert Mugabe’s government, and kept in hidden locations for more than a month. She was eventually released on bail because she needed to go to hospital.

Photo by Sokwanele (Flickr)