Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai left hospital today, saying he was still in pain from an "orgy" of police beatings but would keep battling President Robert Mugabe's authoritarian government.
Zimbabwe's Morgan Tsvangirai (R) of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change leaves a private hospital with his wife Susan (L) in the capital Harare today
Mr Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had been treated for what his party said was a suspected skull fracture since Tuesday, two days after he and scores of supporters were arrested in an anti-Mugabe protest.
Images of a badly bruised and limping Mr Tsvangirai entering the hospital earlier this week fuelled international outrage and threats by the United States and other nations to tighten sanctions against Mr Mugabe and other senior Zimbabwean officials.
A spokesman for Mr Tsvangirai said today that the MDC leader would now rest at home.
"He is still swollen and in pain, but he feels it's better to recuperate from home ... he is still not himself," William Bango said.
An MDC spokesman said Mr Tsvangirai was still suffering from dizziness. Doctors have not confirmed a fracture.
In an article in Britain's Independent newspaper today, the 55-year-old Mr Tsvangirai said "democratic change" was in sight in Zimbabwe and vowed to press on to end Mr Mugabe's 27-year rule.
"They (police) brutalised my flesh. But they will never break my spirit. I will soldier on until Zimbabwe is free," he wrote, saying he suffered an "orgy of heavy beatings" in custody.
Mr Mugabe's government accused Mr Tsvangirai and his group of resisting arrest and waging a violent, militia-style campaign to topple the 83-year-old ruler, a claim the opposition rejected.
Mr Tsvangirai and others who were arrested in the crackdown face charges of public violence and convening an illegal rally, defence lawyers say.
The charges usually lead to fines not jail.
A court hearing on Tuesday was aborted after a state prosecutor ordered that the MDC leader and other injured detainees be taken to hospital for treatment. Zimbabwean officials have said the government will brook no dissent on the streets, vowing to use a "heavy hand" to enforce a three-month ban on political rallies and protests in Harare.
Mr Mugabe, who frequently blames Zimbabwe's economic problems on sabotage by Britain and the United States, told his Western critics on Thursday that they could "go hang." Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe said today Mr Mugabe had assured Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete in a meeting in Harare that the political problems would be resolved legally and the rights of all Zimbabweans respected.
Analysts said Mr Mugabe's tactics could backfire as millions of Zimbabweans look for a way out of a deep economic crisis, marked by sky-high inflation, soaring unemployment and chronic shortages of food and fuel.
"This crackdown is going to be counterproductive and will embolden the opposition and harden their resolve," said Eldred Masunungure, a lecturer in politics at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare.
The private Zimbabwe Independent newspaper today urged the opposition to unite against Mr Mugabe, who has led the southern African nation since independence from Britain in 1980.
"The noose is clearly tightening and the attacks on the MDC and civic leaderships have both exposed the insecurity felt by the regime and boosted the prospects of unity in the opposition," it said.
"They need to seize the moment." Church leaders in Zimbabwe called for urgent talks between the government and the opposition, blaming both sides for stoking political violence.