Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) today issued the following statement calling for the release of top Zimbabwe political opposition official Tendai Biti, who was jailed yesterday as the crisis in Zimbabwe deepens:

“Tendai Biti’s wrongful detention marks an alarming new low in the government’s growing crackdown on opposition supporters. He should be released immediately. The United States is committed to working with Zimbabwe to help turn the page on the brutal Mugabe era. But if wrongful detentions and violence continue, the government will be held accountable.”

NOTE: Ahead of Zimbabwe’s July 30 elections, the House passed the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act—which the president signed into law yesterday.

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