On December 18, 2018, fourteen members of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) were detained and charged with “disorderly conduct” for staging protests against “the country’s worsening economic crisis,” and low pay for teachers. However, in a positive development for union rights in Zimbabwe, a Harare-based court dismissed the case shortly thereafter. The Court Magistrate upheld the precedent that registered trade unions are exempt from the Public Order and Security Act, a law that provides security forces sweeping authority to detain and charge protesters. Read more about the court’s decision here.

Related:

Zimbabwe Activist Jestina Mukoko Finally Gets Justice

Zimbabwe Court Outlaws Broad Restriction of Protests

Citizens Assess the Quality of Governance in Liberia