Christian Aid partners in Zimbabwe were arrested at a prayer rally on Sunday and subsequently tortured. They have since been released, it has emerged.

Opposition party leaders from the Movement for Democratic Change, were also arrested at the rally and later beaten and have publicly revealed their injuries following their release.

The Chairperson of Christian Aid partner the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Michael Jeffrey Davies, and a member of CHRA, known as Kalonga, were among the many opposition and civic leaders to have been arrested.

The rally was organised by the Save Zimbabwe Campaign on 11 March and was intended to be a peaceful prayer meeting. It descended into chaos when riot police stormed the gathering using teargas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. One person, Gift Tandare, was shot dead.

CHRA, together with Christian Aid partners the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) and Ecumenical Support Services (ESS) are three member agencies of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign. Michael Davies was at the prayer meeting representing CHRA.

As those arrested emerge from custody it became evident that many of them had been beaten while in detention.

Mr Davies and Mr Kalonga, together with a number of others arrested on Sunday, were released on March 13, after two nights in detention. No charges have been pressed.

Mr Kalonga is critically ill in hospital having been allegedly tortured.

Mr Davies was not beaten while in custody as he was taken immediately to the Central Police Station in Harare where he believes he was less vulnerable to police brutality. He reports that all of those who were tortured were taken to smaller police stations across the city.

CHRA say they are emboldened by the weekend's appalling events. 'There is no turning back' said Mr Davies. 'We will continue to apply pressure.'

Christian Aid condemns the brutal assaults meted out on opposition and civic leaders since Sunday and joins the international community in demanding basic human rights in Zimbabwe to be upheld by the State.