(WAN/IFEX) – In a 4 March 2003 letter to President Robert Mugabe, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF) expressed serious concern at the issuing of a warrant for the arrest of journalist Geoffrey Nyarota, the laureate of WAN’s 2002 Golden Pen of Freedom. According to reports, on 28 February a Harare court issued an […]
(WAN/IFEX) – In a 4 March 2003 letter to President Robert Mugabe, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF) expressed serious concern at the issuing of a warrant for the arrest of journalist Geoffrey Nyarota, the laureate of WAN’s 2002 Golden Pen of Freedom.
According to reports, on 28 February a Harare court issued an arrest warrant for Nyarota, former editor-in-chief of Zimbabwe’s leading independent daily newspaper “The Daily News”, for failing to appear before a court on a remand hearing on charges of abusing journalistic privileges. Nyarota is currently at Harvard University receiving a fellowship award.
The charges of abusing journalistic privileges and publishing falsehoods arose after a report appeared in “The Daily News” in April 2002, describing how a woman had allegedly been beheaded in front of her daughters by pro-government militias. The story later proved to be false and “The Daily News” printed a retraction.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– reminding him that the media law under which Nyarota has been charged contravenes the basic principles of freedom of expression, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 of the Declaration states: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers
– calling on him to do everything possible to ensure that the media law is repealed and that all charges against Nyarota are dropped
– urging him to ensure that in future Zimbabwe fully respects international standards of freedom of expression
Appeals To
His Excellency President Robert Mugabe
Harare, Zimbabwe
c/o High Commission in Canada
E-mail: zim.highcomm@sympatico.ca
Please copy appeals to WAN.
