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AFP
HARARE
WESTERN governments and the UN expressed alarm on Thursday as top Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti appeared in court after a dramatic attempt to flee to neighbouring Zambia and claim asylum.
Biti, a veteran figure in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was taken handcuffed into a courtroom in Harare under a heavy police presence to face charges of public violence as well as the illegal declaration of election results.
"We will keep on fighting," he told reporters, before being granted bail of $5,000 on the condition that he surrenders his passport and does not address any political gatherings or news conferences.
Biti made a dash across the border Wednesday, facing allegations of inciting protests last week by proclaiming victory for the opposition in Zimbabwe's first elections since the downfall of Robert Mugabe in November.
