HARARE, March 3: Lawyers representing 42 anti-government protestors who were arrested at the World Cup match between Zimbabwe and Holland in Bulawayo last week were on Monday still trying to get them released.

However, police said that only 25 of the original group were still in custody.

The 42, who unfurled banners and sang songs denouncing President Robert Mugabe’s government at Friday’s game, were arrested after the match.

Those arrested include the caretaker of the Queen’s Sports Club where Zimbabwe’s match against Pakistan is due to take place on Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear if his detention had affected plans for the match.

One of the lawyers representing some of those arrested, Perpetua Dube, told AFP that police refused to take the group to court on Monday. She said they were likely to be kept in custody until Wednesday.

“The police are not giving any valid reasons for not taking the accused to court despite having all information after Saturday’s interrogation which I attended,” she said.

She said she was denied permission to see some of her clients who are said to be packed in overcrowded cells at Bulawayo Central police station.

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said: “We are still carrying out our investigations.”

However, he said that only 25 people remained in custody as others were allowed to go on the same day they were arrested.

Among those allegedly detained is a 16-year-old boy who is reported to have sustained injuries while in police custody.

The boy’s mother, Sidumo Moyo, alleged that her son was in a coma at a local hospital after being assaulted while in police custody.

Police however were not available to comment on that allegation.—AFP