My colleagues and I went on a demonstration in Harare in July. A hundred and twenty-eight of us were arrested and then released after spending four days in custody. The charges were dropped. Soon after that I received a phone call from a person who refused to be named. He told me to stop working with the NCA as it would only bring me trouble and then he hung up. I later found out that some of my other colleagues also received similar phone calls. None of us know who they were but it is obvious. This is what these intelligence people do.72 Human rights lawyers who have in the past six months been increasingly called upon to defend political and human rights activists often find themselves the targets of harassment. In May 2006, ZANU PF supporters and state agents threatened and verbally abused Muchadehama and his colleague Andrew Makoni when they attempted to represent students arrested by the police in Bindura for protesting against the high cost of student fees.73 He told Human Rights Watch, “It is part of the work we do. We are sometimes verbally abused, insulted or threatened when we go to the cells. Bindura was worse because it is a ZANU PF stronghold.”74 Organizations such as the Law Society of Zimbabwe and individual human rights lawyers such as Arnold Tsunga, secretary of the Law Society and executive director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, have also been singled out for attack by state officials. On August 6 and 20 the head of the state run Media and Information Commission, Tafataona Mahoso, accused the Law Society and Tsunga of sponsoring “regime change” in the state-run Sunday Mail newspaper.75 Similar allegations were made in another state-run newspaper, The Herald.76 The sustained harassment and vilification of human rights activists has a chilling effect on their right to freedom of expression and association and prevents them 72 Human Rights Watch interview with NCA activist (name withheld), Harare, September 26, 2006. 73 Ibid. 74 Ibid. Human Rights Watch interview with Alec Muchadehama, Harare, October 4, 2006. 75 See Tafataona Mahoso, “Lawyers’ body fights for return of Rhodesia” Sunday Mail (Harare), August 6, 2006; “LSZ leadership supports, mimics Western sponsors,” Sunday Mail, August 20, 2006. 76 “A lawless society,” The Herald (Harare), editorial, August 12, 2006. “you will be thoroughly beaten” 26