HARARE, May 6: Eighteen Zimbabwean opposition activists  in jail facing terrorism charges will be released on bail on Wednesday, a defence lawyer said.

“The attorney-general has consented to bail, so we are going to court… to have the agreement effected by the magistrate,” defence lawyer Harrison Nkomo told Reuters.

The indictment and imprisonment of the activists, including leading human rights activist Jestina Mukoko, sparked fresh tension in the unity government of President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The activists were ordered back to jail on Tuesday, drawing condemnation from Western countries and human rights groups.

The activists, who also include several members of Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), say they were abducted by state security agents from their homes last year and tortured to force them to confess to planning to remove Mugabe from power.

The activists were granted bail in March with the consent of state prosecutors.

Long-time rivals Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a unity government in February after months of wrangling but sharp differences remain over issues such as the review of the posts of central bank governor and attorney general.

Mugabe has yet to swear in Roy Bennett, a senior white MDC member, as deputy agriculture minister. Bennett was jailed for a month in February on charges of plotting terrorism.

Western donors have demanded the unity government carry out wider political and media reforms and called for the release of all political prisoners before committing funding.

The U.S. said it was troubling that the activists were jailed again while Britain said on Tuesday the imprisonment of the activists were disappointing.

“The new government in Zimbabwe has made some notable progress since its inception in February. This makes news of the return to custody of 18 high profile political detainees all the more disappointing,” British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement.

Additi0nal reporting~:  Reuters

HARARE, May 5  – A Zimbabwe court on Tuesday ordered 18 opposition activists facing charges of terrorism back to prison after they were indicted for trial next month in a move that will spark fresh tensions in a new unity government.

The activists, including leading human rights activist Jestina Mukoko, say they were abducted by state security agents from their homes last year and tortured to force them to confess to planning to remove President Robert Mugabe from power.

The activists, who also include several Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) members, were granted bail in March with the consent of state prosecutors.

“We were surprised by the magistrate’s decision as we were making prior arrangements with the state. She just said the matter was now outside her jurisdiction and remanded them in custody,” Alec Muchadehama, one of the defence lawyers, said.

Muchadehama said the 18 had been indicted for a trial which starts next month. Lawyers were preparing to apply for bail at Zimbabwe’s High Court later on Tuesday.

Long-time rivals Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC formed a unity government in February after months of wrangling but sharp differences still remain over issues such as the review of the posts of central bank governor and attorney general.

Mugabe has yet to swear in Roy Bennett, a senior white MDC member, as deputy Agriculture Minister. Bennett was locked up in prison for a month in February on charges of plotting terrorism.

Western donors, who have demanded that the unity government carry out wider political and media reforms and called for the release of all political prisoners before committing funding, are likely to raise concern.

“As the MDC we are very concerned with this matter as it adds to a long litany of breaches to the Global Political Agreement.

Additional reporting.  Reuters