Tsvangirai undergoes brain scan 'after beating'

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

Morgan Tsvangirai, who remains in hospital, underwent a brain scan, and his lawyer said he may have suffered a skull fracture and internal bleeding as a result of police beatings.

Mr Tsvangirai, 54, and more than 40 other opposition figures were arrested at a prayer meeting on Sunday in the latest crackdown on dissent by President Robert Mugabe’s security forces and political supporters.

Mr Tsvangirai said police beat him on the head, and that he suffered body blows to the knees and back, and that his arm was broken. He said he “lost a lot of blood” and that he was given two pints.

“I think the intent was to inflict as much harm as they could,” he said.

Mr Tsvangirai was in a hospital unit where he could be more closely monitored and was awaiting the results of a brain scan for a suspected skull fracture, said Tafadza Mugabe, one of his lawyers.

At a brief court appearance yesterday, Mr Tsvangirai’s right eye was swollen shut and his head partly shaved to reveal crudely stitched gashes.

“It was barbaric,” said British Ambassador Andrew Pockock, who was in court.

Another 34 activists were released from the private hospital in Harare early today and reunited with their families.

Those freed were told to return to the Harare magistrates’ court when it opened today, but amid chaos at the court no proceedings were held, and the activists returned to their homes.

Mr Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and colleagues from other opposition and civic groups were ferried in ambulances and buses from the magistrates’ court to the hospital.

Many sustained severe bruising and internal injuries after the police raid on the prayer meeting that authorities had declared illegal.