(HRW/IFEX) – On 9 February 1999, Human Rights Watch expressed its deep concern over the current crackdown on press freedom in Zimbabwe and appealed to the government to exercise restraint and abide by its commitments to democratic freedoms. **Updates IFEX alerts of 9 February, 8 February, 3 February, 29 January, 27 January, 25 January, 22 […]
(HRW/IFEX) – On 9 February 1999, Human Rights Watch expressed its deep
concern over the current crackdown on press freedom in Zimbabwe and
appealed to the government to exercise restraint and abide by its
commitments to democratic freedoms.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 9 February, 8 February, 3 February, 29 January,
27 January, 25 January, 22 January, 21 January, 18 January, 15 January
and 13 January 1999**
>
Four Zimbabwean independent journalists were detained by civilian police
on 9 February. Reporter Grace Kwinjeh, Editor Fernando Gonçlaves, former
editor Ferayi Mungazi and the chief editor Ibbo Mandaza of the weekly
Zimbabwe Mirror newspaper were taken into custody by an inspector for
the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Zimbabwe Republic
Police.
They were questioned in connection with an article about Zimbabwe’s
military intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Published on 30 October 1998, the article told the story of a Zimbabwean
family who had received only the head of their son, without the body,
after he was killed in action in the DRC. Kwinjeh, the author of the
story, received threatening telephone calls after the story was printed.
All four appeared in court on 10 February. Charges were dropped on
Gonçalves and Mungazi, but Kwinjeh and Mandaza where charged with
violating Article 50 (2a) of the Law and Order Maintenance Act and
released on US$135 bail. They are required to register with the police
once a week. Their case will next be heard on 1 March.
Human Rights Watch is worried that these new arrests may mark a
crackdown on the independent media. Two other independent journalists,
Mark Chavunduka and Roy Choto, were arrested in January 1999, detained
incommunicado and tortured by military intelligence officials. A
doctor’s examination after their release on bail on 21 January confirmed
their allegations of torture. Human Rights Watch wrote to President
Mugabe on 3 February and urged him to order an independent inquiry into
the reported use of torture on these two journalists.
” We wish to appeal to the Government of Zimbabwe to immediately put an
end to the current clampdown on the private media,” said Peter
Takirambudde, executive director for Africa at Human Rights Watch.
“Zimbabwe must recommit itself to press freedom and constitutional
legality.”
