(MISA/IFEX) – Freelance journalists Frank Chikowore and Edgar Mwandiambira were arrested the morning of 27 June 2008 while covering election proceedings at Mhofu Primary school in the Harare suburb of Highfield at the opening of the presidential election run-off voting. According to their lawyer, Aleck Muchadehama, the two are being held at Machipisa police station […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Freelance journalists Frank Chikowore and Edgar Mwandiambira were arrested the morning of 27 June 2008 while covering election proceedings at Mhofu Primary school in the Harare suburb of Highfield at the opening of the presidential election run-off voting.
According to their lawyer, Aleck Muchadehama, the two are being held at Machipisa police station and have not yet been formerly charged.
Muchadehama said the two were arrested at around 9:30 a.m. (local time) on 27 June after making an enquiry to the presiding officer at the polling station as to whether they could cover proceedings at the polling station using their accreditation for the 29 March 2008 elections. The presiding officer is said to have professed ignorance and referred them to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
The two were apparently stopped by a police official at the gate on their way out and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Law and Order section. Mhofu Primary school is where Zanu PF presidential candidate, President Robert Mugabe, was expected to cast his vote.