ZIMBABWE’S main opposition leader yesterday said police beat him repeatedly in the head, back, knees and arm and he lost a lot of blood in an attack seemed intended “to inflict as much harm as they could”.

Zimbabwean opposition activists bruised, battered and bloodied – reportedly by police while in custody – have been temporarily released, their lawyer said.

The leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party and about 50 other democracy activists – many of them bandaged and bruised – were taken to hospitals following a court appearance today, two days after they were arrested and reportedly beaten for trying to attend an opposition meeting.

Zimbabwean officials tonight defied a judge’s order to release two British journalists on bail, two weeks after they were detained near a polling station during Zimbabwe’s parliamentary election.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe today called a general election on March 31 amid fears tat voting polling could be as violent and flawed as the last vote.

A newspaper correspondent accused of being critical of the Zimbabwe government was due to arrive in the UK this morning after being deported.

A US journalist accused of being critical of Zimbabwe’s government was pushed into a car by police yesterday and driven to the airport to be deported, the journalist and his lawyer said.