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Alert

Three journalists arrested, "The Daily News" still banned

(RSF/IFEX) - Three journalists from the "Zimbabwe Independent" were arrested by Harare police on 10 January 2004, accused of "insulting" President Robert Mugabe.

"The year 2004 has started in the worst possible way for press freedom in Zimbabwe. Three journalists have already been arrested and police are still preventing 'The Daily News' from reappearing despite a High Court ruling in its favour," said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard.

"The government is no longer even respecting the decisions of the courts. We are extremely concerned about Zimbabwean journalists' working conditions and call on the authorities to pull back. The people have the right to diverse and independent news and information," Ménard added.

Iden Wetherell, managing editor of the "Zimbabwe Independent", one of two private weeklies in the country, and two of his journalists, Vincent Kahiya and Dumisani Muleya, were arrested on 10 January and taken to a Harare police station. Police are reportedly still seeking a fourth journalist, Idai Dzamera.

They are each accused of publishing an article that was "insulting" to the head of state. The "Zimbabwe Independent" had reported that President Mugabe took a plane belonging to the national carrier Air Zimbabwe for his holidays in Asia, resulting in a loss of earnings to the public company of three billion Zimbabwe dollars (approx. US$3.75 million; 2.9 million euros).

In another case, the High Court ruled on 9 January that "The Daily News" could resume publishing, but police said they had not received any such instructions and refused to reopen the newspaper's printing press, preventing it from reappearing.

The following day, the state-controlled national daily "The Herald" reported that the authorities planned to appeal the High Court decision.