22 December 2003

Alert

RSF calls for reopening of "The Daily News" printing press


Incident details

newspaper(s)

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(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has strongly condemned the actions of Zimbabwe police, who sealed the printing press of "The Daily News" on 19 December 2003. The police acted to thwart the newspaper's attempts to resume publishing after a judge lifted a ban on the paper earlier in the day.

"The Zimbabwe authorities are determined to gag 'The Daily News' at all costs. The police's intervention at the printing press had the sole aim of preventing the application of a judgement in favour of the newspaper," said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. "We urge the authorities to allow 'The Daily News' and its printing press to operate freely, in line with the court ruling," he added.

On 19 December, the Bulawayo Administrative Court, presided by Judge Selo Nare, ruled that the privately-owned newspaper could resume publication. As soon as the decision was announced, the president of the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), which publishes the newspaper, said the group's printing press was already rolling and that an edition of the newspaper would be "on the streets of Harare from today."



Source:

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

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Updates to this story

Charges against ANZ directors dismissed 22 September 2004 ANZ directors plead not guilty to charges of publishing without a licence 14 June 2004

More on this case

Reporter attacked as newspaper resumes publishing after seven-year ban 30 March 2011 Three independent dailies allowed to resume publishing after almost seven years of censorship 28 May 2010 Mix of hope and resignation about return of independent press 22 April 2010 Special committee gives go ahead for "Daily News" licence 31 July 2009 Charges against ANZ journalists dropped 31 October 2005 Former "Daily News" journalist acquitted in important test case 2 September 2005 Former "Daily News" journalists served with summonses 15 June 2005 Journalist faces trial over accusation of practicing journalism without accreditation 31 May 2005 Three journalists arrested, "The Daily News" still banned 12 January 2004 Publishers of "The Daily News" seek order to resume operations 14 November 2003 ANZ chief executive's niece released 29 October 2003 Four ANZ directors arrested, another director released 28 October 2003 Six more charged for practicing journalism without MIC accreditation 3 October 2003

Zimbabwe

Foreign newspapers to be banned 6 February 2012 Charges against MMPZ staffers reduced 26 January 2012 Detained MMPZ staff freed on bail; journalist questioned 22 December 2011 Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe personnel denied freedom 13 December 2011 Unlawful detention and harassment of Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe personnel 7 December 2011 See all alerts: Zimbabwe


 
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