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Journalists Jailed in Zimbabwe
by Jarrett Martineau | April 5, 2008 at 01:53 am | 466 views | 6 comments
by Swan
In much of the world, freedom of the press is still very much a luxury. And for many foreign journalists, simply conducting their journalistic work puts them in often difficult and hostile circumstances.
In Zimbabwe, two journalists have been detained by authorities and charged with "practising journalism without a license". One is a British national, whose name has not been released, and the other is believed to be New York Times reporter Barry Bearak.
A British national is being held by Zimbabwean authorities after being charged with breaching the country's strict media laws, the Foreign Office said.The man was among five people detained on Thursday after police and security agents entered a hotel in the capital Harare.
He was charged with practising journalism without a licence, according to British officials.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said the man was in good condition and his next of kin had been informed of his detention.
She said: "The British national has been visited by the consul in Harare and had access to his lawyer. His next of kin have been informed."
The man, whose identity has still not been released, is believed to have spent Friday night in police custody.
It is believed that a New York Times reporter has been charged with the same offence.
Zimbabwean lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa told the Associated Press that of the five detained following the raid on a hotel on Friday, two were jailed with the other three being released.
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April 5, 2008 at 01:53 am by Jarrett Martineau, 466 views, 6 comments
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Comments (6)
at 02:29 on April 5th, 2008
Mugabe definitely needs to go but the country's major power broker is the military. It will be interesting to see where they go - i.e. with Mugabe, with the opposition, or maybe a third way led by those in fatigues.
at 06:58 on April 5th, 2008
This is interesting and very relevant article Jarrett Martineau and indeed journalism is a precious career; and what’s happening around the world, news has never been more important; thus more and more journalists get jailed for trying to feed our hunger for information. Are we to blame or these aged and wrinkled unadventurous despots, e.g. Mugabe and Hu Jintao?
at 08:42 on April 5th, 2008
Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 09:38 on April 5th, 2008
Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:03 on April 5th, 2008
Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff. It is very good especially with what Mugabe is doing. I agree with Big T that Mugabe has to go but there is more power behind extra official forces created by Mugabe himself. In addition to the military, there is a group of war veterans who fought under Mugabe during the 1965-1979 Rhodesian Civil War and they are willing to support him. There is another group that was trained by North Korea which participated in a massacre in 1982. Last but not least, there was one group composed of homeless youths and children who were picked up by the police, placed in a rehabilitation centre [theoretically] but were turned into fanatical followers of Mugabe. These above mentioned people have terrorized Zimbabwe.
at 18:19 on April 5th, 2008
At the present time according to the BBC News Website, South African President Mbeki is meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the situation about Zimbabwe. Mbeki has declared that "Zimbabwe is not a South African Province" and Brown has promised international observers in the run off election.