Ian Kay – MDC MP for Marondera Central Constituency Ian Kay spent two weeks in remand prison on charges of inciting political violence. Police first issued an arrest warrant against him on May 7 and arrived at his home on May 14 to carry out the search. The police informed Kay that they wanted to search his property because he was “allegedly taking pictures of a political nature and sending them outside the country.” When they did not find what they were looking for, the police told Kay to report to Marondera police station on May 20. Kay complied, went to the station and after several hours was told that he would be detained, even though police did not initially bring any charges against him. Eventually Kay was charged with inciting violence in rural Marondera. He was denied bail and remanded in custody for five days at St. Thomas prison in Marondera. Police later transferred him to Murehwa prison where he spent another week before being released on bail. A hearing for Kay’s case was scheduled for August 4, 2008. He told Human Rights Watch: I was granted bail under strict conditions. I had to surrender my passport and have to report to the police station twice a week. I am now being followed. On at least two occasions I discovered that I was being followed by a black Mercedes-Benz with four male occupants inside. I do not know who these people are or their business and I fear for my life. There has been too much abduction targeting MDC activists. I no longer sleep at my house.27 On August 4, Ian Kay appeared in court where his lawyers applied for the case to be dismissed. The ruling in the matter was reserved. Kay’s lawyers requested the court to relax Kay’s bail conditions and return his passport, but the court refused to do so in an August 6 ruling. Kay is due back in court on August 19. vacant. Section 42 provides that a member automatically loses his or her seat if convicted and sentenced to death or imprisonment for six months or more. Section 43 provides for expulsion of a convicted MP sentenced to a lesser sentence, if the House concerned decides by a vote of at least two-thirds of its total membership that the MP is unfit to continue in office. 27 Human Rights Watch interview with Ian Kay, Harare, July 10, 2008. “They Beat Me Like a Dog” 14