A LEADING international law firm based in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) has joined the legal team representing incarcerated Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) member of parliament Job Sikhala.

The development emerged Monday as party leader Nelson Chamisa was refused entry at Chikurubi Maximum Prison in Harare were he wanted to visit Sikhala, fellow CCC legislator Godfrey Sithole and a dozen other party activists.

All 14 have been in remand prison, denied bail, for more than a month after being arrested for allegedly inciting the violence with rocked memorial services and a funeral wake for slain CCC activist Moreblessing Ali.

Amsterdam & Partners, the international law firm joining the Sikhala case, says they are committed “to holding states accountable for violating the human rights of their citizens and residents.

“Its founding partner, Canadian Robert Amsterdam, is described as a crusader for the world’s “highest profile human rights cases”.

Big name international clients include Mikhail Khodorkovsky, one of Russia’s famous ex-political prisoner who is now a leading opposition figure and philanthropist.