Newspaper’s distributors beaten in Zimbabwe, papers burned
New York, May 27, 2008–CPJ condemns the beating of distributors for private weekly The Zimbabwean on Sunday last week. Unknown assailants hijacked and burned down the distributors’ truck, which was carrying 60,000 copies of the paper. “Attacking these media workers and burning newspapers is nothing but brutal censorship of one of the country’s last remaining…
Zimbabwean editor, media lawyer charged, released
New York, May 9, 2008—In separate cases today, a magistrate court in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, released from police custody a top newspaper editor and a leading lawyer working in defense of journalists. Both were formally charged, however, according to local sources. Davison Maruziva, editor of Zimbabwe’s leading Sunday newspaper, The Standard, was charged with…
In Zimbabwe, editor jailed, media lawyer hospitalized in custody, photographer set free
New York, May 8, 2008—Zimbabwean police arrested a top newspaper editor today and released a photographer jailed since Monday, according to local journalists and news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists remains concerned about the well-being of a leading media lawyer following reports of his hospitalization after his arrest on Wednesday. Davison Maruziva, deputy editor…
Leading Zimbabwean lawyer detained
New York, May 7, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that a leading Zimbabwean lawyer working in defense of journalists was arrested today in the capital, Harare. Harrison Nkomo remained in police custody late today after his arrest this afternoon for allegedly “undermining the authority or insulting the president,” according to his…
In Zimbabwe, one is cleared while another is denied bail
New York, April 23, 2008—A prosecutor dropped two-year-old charges against freelance journalist Sydney Saize in restive Zimbabwe on Tuesday, while a magistrate denied bail to freelancer Frank Chikowore, who has been detained for more than a week. The Committee to Protect Journalists today called for Chikowore’s immediate release. Mutare prosecutor Malvern Musarurwa declined to pursue…
CPJ welcomes acquittal of Times journalist
New York, April 16, 2008— In response to news reports that two foreign nationals in Zimbabwe were acquitted today by the magistrate Central Harare Court, the Committee to Protect Journalists released the following statement: “We applaud the decision to acquit New York Times journalist Barry Bearak and a British national accused of practicing journalism without…
Two journalists released, another arrested
New York, April 16, 2008—CPJ welcomed the release of two foreign journalists from Harare today but remains concerned over Tuesday’s arrest of Zimbabwean freelance journalist Frank Chikowore. Award-winning New York Times journalist Barry Bearak and British freelance journalist Steve Bevan left the country today after Harare Magistrate Gloria Takundwa ruled that there were no legal…