The United States Embassy in Harare responded to Tech Zim’s inquiries in a matter where America citizen Martha O’Donovan was arrested and is facing charges of insulting President Robert Mugabe through a tweet and “subverting a constitutional government through Masterminding a social media campaign to overthrow the government by unconstitutional means”.
In emailed responses to Tech Zim (TZ), US Embassy Spokesperson David McGuire (DM) said that the United States Government is aware of O’Donovan’s arrest and is monitoring the situation although it does not wish to comment further concerning her arrest at the moment. Read the responses below:
TZ: Is the US Embassy aware of the arrest of Martha O’Donovan?
DM: The US Embassy is aware of the arrest of Martha O’Donovan and is closely monitoring the situation.
TZ: When did Martha O’Donovan enter Zimbabwe? On what Visa is she on?
DM: I would refer you to Zimbabwe authorities regarding Martha’s entry into the country and her Zimbabwean visa status.
TZ: Is the American government aware of any attempts to overthrow the Zimbabwean government by Martha O’Donovan?
DM: The U.S. Government is aware of the charges that have been levied against Ms. O’Donovan. While we will not comment on the specifics of this individual case, broadly speaking we are not aware of any attempts to overthrow the government of Zimbabwe.
TZ: Does the US government have a statement on this arrest?
DM: Members of the Embassy Consular Services team have been in direct and constant contact with Martha since her arrest. We will continue to monitor the situation and will maintain close contact with Martha and her legal team. Due to privacy act considerations, we will not be commenting further at this time.
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