A member of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's regime tonight left Britain, less than 24 hours after he was detained and faced deportation.
Joshua Malinga, the deputy secretary for disability, was held at Gatwick Airport last night while trying to board a flight for a disability conference in New York
He left Britain tonight on an Air Zimbabwe flight from Gatwick to Harare although officials were unable to confirm if he was formally deported.
Wheelchair-bound Mr Malinga, who was travelling with his disabled wife, claimed not to have known he was one of 72 leading Zimbabweans subject to a European Union travel ban.
He was travelling in his role as president of the international human rights group Disabled Peoples International, he said, and was due to attend a United Nations conference in New York.
Britain says he was violating European Union sanctions imposed on President Robert Mugabe's government.
These include a ban on travel in the EU by leading Zimbabwean politicians.
Mr Malinga described his treatment as unfair and unjust. He said that he was travelling in his capacity as president of an international human rights group for disabled people, and was going to attend a UN conference on disability.
Zimbabwe has threatened to retaliate against British citizens.
"This is the clearest example that the Brits have gone bananas and are harassing disabled people who should be assisted," said Information Minister and ZANU-PF deputy secretary for Information, Jonathan Moyo.
"Perhaps the time has come for our own list of Brits who are not welcome in Zimbabwe," said Mr Moyo.
"These people are pretty mean and dangerous. Their foolishness is that they don't seem to know we can also take our own measures," he
