28 In Their Capacity as Human Rights Defenders: Women Chitungwiza and Harare Central) in an effort to frustrate the efforts of their lawyers in locating them and securing their release. Some of the women were tortured during detention, while an expectant mother among those arrested went into labour and had to be rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital where she later gave birth. Fifty-six women required medical treatment for bruises and skin diseases and upper respiratory tract disorders, which they acquired in detention due to the conditions of the cells. Many exhibited signs of mental distress. They were unsuccessfully prosecuted under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. 8 May 2007: Beatrice Mtetwa and others senior members of the Law Society of Zimbabwe marched in protest following the arrest and detention of their fellow lawyers, Alec Muchadehama and Andrew Makoni. They were part of a group of at least 60 lawyers who gathered outside the High Court to conduct a peaceful march in solidarity against this arrest. When police arrived at the scene, they forced the lawyers to disperse. Whilst the lawyers were walking back to their offices, the police began assaulting them, causing some lawyers to run for cover into the building housing the offices of the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Justice. Inside the building, a group of plain clothes and uniformed police officers in riot gear forcefully removed the lawyers from the building. Their colleagues, who had been waiting outside, had already been attacked by riot police officers earlier on. The lawyers were severely assaulted with baton sticks indiscriminately all over their bodies. One of the victims was beaten on the head, whilst another elderly lawyer was shoved around. A third lawyer was beaten on the right arm several times with a baton stick. The lawyers that had succeeded in gaining entrance into the building were bundled into a police vehicle, including Mtetwa, who was the then President of the Law Society of Zimbabwe. Special force was meted out to her, together with the other lawyers who had been rounded up, after which the lawyers were dumped on the side of a main road. Successful cases were brought against the police in this matter for damages due to the bodily harm incurred. 7 August 2007: Sixteen members of WOZA were arrested at Mucheke Stadium where they had been playing soccer and netball. The arresting officers were both from the Central Investigation Department (CID). ZLHR lawyers were denied access to the detained persons who had been taken to a rural police post. The day of arrest was a particularly cold one and most of the women did not have warm clothes. No docket was opened and no charges were preferred against any member of the group. On the first day of the arrest the women HRDs informed lawyers that they had been assaulted in the cells by a female uniformed police officer who had not disclosed the reason why she was assaulting them. On the second night, all the 16 arrested activists were assaulted, one by one, in an office at the CID Section. The police officer in charge told lawyers openly that they would continue to assault WOZA activists until they got information as to the nature of WOZA activities and their objectives. One agent from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) came and was briefed by the officer in charge on the arrests. Two more women were arrested on 9 August for bringing food for the 16 activists. The women were later released on the same day, with no charges preferred against them. Lawyers had to take the 16 women to hospital for treatment of their injuries suffered at the hands of the police. 28 May 2008: WOZA embarked on a peaceful procession seeking to bring awareness of the challenges which Africans faced as they marked the 25 May Africa Day celebrations. They had advocacy pamphlets which, among other things, raised disturbing issues about the of