Martha odonovan jailed subversion zimbabwe freed

Martha O'Donovan, a Zimbabwean-British citizen, was arrested and charged with subversion in Zimbabwe in 2016. She was accused of posting tweets on her Twitter account that were deemed to be critical of President Robert Mugabe and his government.

O'Donovan, who was 20 years old at the time of her arrest, was a student at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She was arrested at her home in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital city, on November 16, 2016, and taken to a police station for questioning.

She was charged with subversion under Section 31 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which makes it an offense to "publish or communicate to the public or any person any false statement with intent to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite or attempt to excite disaffection against the President or against the government."

O'Donovan was held in custody for several months before being released on bail in February 2017. Her trial began in March 2017, and she was found guilty of subversion in July 2017. She was sentenced to nine months in prison, but was released on August 3, 2017, after serving her sentence.

O'Donovan's case drew international attention and was widely criticized by human rights groups and freedom of speech advocates. Many argued that her arrest and conviction were a violation of her right to freedom of expression and that the charges against her were politically motivated.

After her release from prison, O'Donovan returned to the United Kingdom, where she has continued to speak out about her experience and the need to protect freedom of speech and human rights in Zimbabwe.