A Zimbabwean judge has ordered the release of a Cabinet minister who was arrested for calling President Robert Mugabe a liar.

Jameson Timba, a senior aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, was arrested in Harare Friday on allegations he had undermined Mr. Mugabe's authority.

High Court judge Joseph Musakwa said Sunday that police had violated Timba's rights by not informing him of the charges he is facing, and said there is no justification for him to be further detained.

There are conflicting reports on whether police have actually set Timba free.

Timba is a minister of state in Mr. Tsvangirai's office. Last week, he accused Mr. Mugabe of lying about the outcome of a regional summit on Zimbabwe's tense political situation.

He was the third Cabinet minister with Mr. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change to be arrested in the last four months.

The MDC and Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party are part of a fragile coalition government formed after disputed and violent elections in 2008.

Rights groups have accused pro-ZANU-PF security forces of harassing and attacking MDC supporters.

Mugabe supporters have been calling for the arrest of both Timba and Mr. Tsvangirai.