Zimbabwean prosecutors have slapped fresh charges on a prominent human rights lawyer, a legal group said Tuesday, labelling the state's move a "desperate bid to bolster its case." Beatrice Mtetwa -- whose arrest for obstructing justice last month sparked international condemnation -- now faces additional charges of abusing the police, according to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. Mtetwa was arrested a day after Zimbabwe's constitutional referendum, during a police raid of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's offices in Harare.

The High Court in Zimbabwe on Wednesday granted bail to four aides of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who are facing charges of breaching the state secrecy code. The staff members, arrested a day after a referendum on a new constitution, stand accused of violating state secrecy law, impersonating police officers and possessing articles for criminal use. "I am of the firm view that granting the appellants bail with stringent conditions will meet the justice of the case," justice Chinembiri Bhunu said, handing down his ruling in Harare.

The EU has suspended an assets freeze and visa ban against most Zimbabwean firms and people after a "credible" March referendum, but President Robert Mugabe and a few others remain blacklisted. The United States said it would wait and see before deciding whether or not to follow suit. The European Union announced on Monday it was immediately suspending measures "against 81 individuals and eight entities", commending the people of Zimbabwe for "a peaceful, successful and credible vote" to approve a new constitution on March 16.

By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union suspended most sanctions on Zimbabwe on Monday after the country's voters approved a new constitution limiting presidential powers and paving the way for an election. The move is the most far-reaching step so far in the European Union's strategy of easing sanctions to encourage political and economic reform in the southern African country.