LONDON — In a rare and urgent message smuggled from behind prison walls, Zimbabwean activist and former teacher William Chinyanga has issued a direct plea to the international community, warning that his life is in danger and that the justice system in the United Kingdom has failed him.
Chinyanga, convicted in 2022 on charges of inciting terrorism, claims that the trial was riddled with procedural errors, compromised legal representation, and political interference tied to Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU PF regime. His message, dated 3 June 2025, is a powerful cry for justice — and a disturbing insight into what he alleges to be a coordinated attempt to silence dissent against the Harare government from abroad.
“I have been denied release from prison on the grounds that I am still considered a threat to ZANU PF,” Chinyanga wrote. “My life is in danger. Please help me.”
A Controversial Conviction
William Chinyanga, a former MDC activist and vocal critic of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration, was convicted under the UK’s anti-terrorism laws for online broadcasts that prosecutors claimed amounted to incitement. However, critics argue the case represented a dangerous conflation of political speech and criminal intent — a precedent that could silence legitimate dissent across the diaspora.
The judge in the case allegedly rebuked Chinyanga’s solicitor, Madeleine Corr, for “riding two horses” — a phrase suggesting divided loyalties or conflicts of interest. Key witnesses were reportedly blocked, and one of the prosecution’s influences was the controversial Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who has been accused by Chinyanga and others of involvement in politically motivated smear campaigns.
Chinyanga also claims that his cousin, opposition MP Job Sikhala, was similarly targeted, and that Chin’ono played a role in undermining Sikhala’s political standing — allegations Chin’ono denies.
Appeal Sabotaged
After his conviction, Chinyanga exercised his legal right to appeal. However, he alleges that prison security and police obstructed the process by withholding vital documents, including witness statements requested by the appeal judge. The appeal was ultimately denied — not on substantive legal grounds, he says, but because the necessary documents were never delivered.
“They tried to blackmail me into admitting that I am a terrorist, which I am not,” Chinyanga writes. “It was my democratic right to appeal—it is not a crime.”
Psychological Pressure and a Broken System
While in prison, Chinyanga was enrolled in the Home Office’s Extremism Risk Guidance (ERG) programme, part of the High Intensity Intervention (HII) framework. Though he completed 90% of the programme, he reports being thrown into depression after authorities confiscated letters he had written to his legal team and to the Home Office, outlining his reasons for opposing deportation to Zimbabwe.
“To me, deportation is a death sentence—I would be executed by the ZANU PF regime,” he writes.
Chinyanga believes the programme was deliberately disrupted by the authorities to provide justification for keeping him behind bars. “Isn’t it clear that they sabotaged my progress to manufacture a reason to keep me in prison?” he asks.
A Larger Geopolitical Picture?
In perhaps the most explosive part of his message, Chinyanga suggests that his case is not just a miscarriage of justice, but a political arrangement with transnational implications.
He alleges that ZANU PF is collaborating with elements of the UK government through economic deals involving lithium and diamonds — strategic minerals that have recently drawn increased interest from British firms. President Mnangagwa, he notes, has enjoyed unimpeded access to the UK despite mounting evidence of human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
“These deals are being struck while critics like me are silenced,” Chinyanga asserts.
Calls for Action
Chinyanga ends his letter with an appeal for urgent intervention:
- He asks the public and legal professionals to help him sue the prison security officials who he believes obstructed his legal rights.
- He urges Zimbabwean and international human rights organisations to form a delegation to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and demand his release.
- He calls for the immediate halting of any deportation processes, warning that return to Zimbabwe would be tantamount to execution.
A Case That Demands Scrutiny
Human rights groups are watching the case closely. Some see it as a litmus test for how liberal democracies treat political dissidents from autocratic regimes — particularly when powerful economic interests are at play.
Chinyanga’s case raises serious questions: Was a legitimate voice of dissent wrongfully imprisoned? Was the UK’s justice system manipulated to serve foreign policy or trade agendas? And how many other activists across the globe face similar fates, silenced under the guise of national security?
As the debate continues, William Chinyanga remains in prison, his future uncertain — but his voice, at least for now, still heard.
