World Bulletin / News Desk

At least six Zimbabwe activists were "abducted" and some of them beaten up as a heavy police presence in Harare prevented planned protests Friday against President Robert Mugabe's government.

Frustration at Zimbabwe's economic collapse under the authoritarian regime of Mugabe, 92, has triggered a series of large street protests this year, with security forces often beating up demonstrators.

Sylvanos Mudzvova, one of the protest movement leaders, told AFP that fellow activist Patson Dzamara and two others were admitted to hospital after being abducted by unidentified men who dragged them out of their cars.

"Dzamara and two colleagues were taken to the bush where they were beaten up," Mudzvova told AFP.

"Three others are unaccounted for. They were blocked on the road and taken from their cars which were later found burnt."

Social media photographs showed Dzamara, whose activist brother was abducted last year and never found, lying in hospital with whip marks on his back.

Speaking from his bed, Dzamara accused the security forces of being behind the attack on him.

"They said, 'you did not learn from what we did to your brother. It's now your turn,'" he said.

Witnesses told AFP that about 20 people were also detained by police in a square in central Harare. 

The police were unavailable to comment.

AFP