Harare - A Zimbabwe court on Thursday freed two employees of a gay organisation after six days in jail on allegations of possessing indecent material and displaying a placard seen as insulting to President Robert Mugabe, an outspoken critic of homosexuality.

The Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (Galz) organisation said on Thursday that the two employees were assaulted by police while in custody.

Defence attorney David Hofisi said the two were also made to bend their knees into a sitting position with their arms outstretched for long periods and were struck with bottles when they weakened and fell.

Magistrate Munamate Mutevedzi on Thursday released the two on bail of $200 each until a trial set for June 10, where they will face penalties of imprisonment or a fine. Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe and most African countries, with the exception of South Africa.

'Morally reprehensible'

Police allege the two employees possessed photographs of gay sex and posted a letter in their office from former San Francisco Mayor Willie Lewis Brown criticising the Zimbabwean president's opposition to homosexuality.

The organisation identified them as Ellen Chadehama, 34, and Ignatius Mhambi, 38 and said both were married with children.

They were arrested on Friday on allegations under censorship laws and sweeping security laws making it an offence "to undermine the authority of the president".

The US former mayor's letter also commended the local organisation as a champion of gay rights.

State prosecutors asked the court to deny bail.

Mutevedzi said provisions of Zimbabwe law on both allegations did not take into account the sexuality of suspected offenders. 

By AP