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HARARE - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sent from court to hospital with a deep head wound today as world outrage grew over the government's violent crackdown on political protests.
Tsvangirai, who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said he had suffered "terrible" treatment in police custody following his arrest on Monday for attempting to attend an opposition prayer rally.
"It was sadistic to attack defenceless people," the burly former trade unionist said outside the Harare court, where he appeared limping, with a gash in his head and a swollen eye. His head was shaved where the wound had been treated.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice led international condemnation of the crackdown, saying Washington held President Robert Mugabe personally responsible for Tsvangirai's safety.
"The world community has again been shown that the regime of Robert Mugabe is ruthless and repressive and creates only suffering for the people of Zimbabwe," Rice said in a statement.
South Africa, Zimbabwe's powerful neighbour to the south, also took the rare step of commenting, calling on Mugabe's government to respect the rule of law and the rights of all people, including opposition leaders.
Pretoria said it was concerned over the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe, where the 83-year old Mugabe has said he is ready to stand for a new term next year despite an economic crisis that has driven inflation to 1,700 per cent and put some eight out of 10 people out of work.
Carried into court
Tsvangirai was brought to court today along with about 50 other detainees, several of whom had to be carried into the courthouse. One wore a bloodstained shirt and all appeared dirty, dishevelled and tired.
State lawyer Florence Ziyambi ordered that the accused be taken to hospital for treatment. Tsvangirai was bundled into a minibus by riot police, while the others went by ambulance.
Rights groups say the group was tortured after their arrest during a prayer meeting organised by a coalition of opposition, church and civic groups to discuss Zimbabwe's woes.
Police had ordered organisers to scrap the meeting, apparently worried that the opposition was launching a street campaign to oust Mugabe.
One man was shot dead when riot squads moved in to crush the rally. It was the second time in a month police had battled opposition youths in the capital.
Tsvangirai and his colleagues were still undergoing medical treatment as the evening wore on and it was unclear whether they would be released or returned to jail overnight.
Defence lawyers said riot police had cordoned off a private hospital where the opposition politicians were being treated.
Mugabe -- once one of Africa's liberation heroes but now accused of chronic economic mismanagement and political abuses -- has said he will seek another term if asked by the ruling ZANU-PF party, whether elections are held as planned in 2008 or delayed for two years.
Political analysts say Mugabe's election plans have alarmed even some senior members of ZANU-PF, aggravating tensions within the party as the long-cowed opposition grows bolder.
Mugabe frequently blames Zimbabwe's economic problems on sabotage from former colonial master Britain and other Western nations.
ZANU-PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira said Tsvangirai had been intent on getting arrested to win more Western support.
"I think Tsvangirai wanted to be arrested because he wanted more support from London and Washington," Shamuyarira was quoted as saying by SABC, South Africa's state broadcaster.
While other Western countries joined the United States in denouncing Zimbabwe's latest moves, most of its African neighbors remained diplomatically low-key despite an accelerating meltdown which many analysts say could threaten the entire region.
"The problem in Zimbabwe should be solved by Zimbabweans themselves," Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said on Tuesday as he received the new Zimbabwean ambassador.
"Everybody else cannot be a prefect, but we can only offer advice which could either be accepted or rejected."
- REUTERS
