(MISA/IFEX) – The “Daily Mail” in Tanzania reports that on 8 December 1998, one of its freelance journalists, Ali Sultan, was denied access to the Vuga Magistrate’s Court in Zanzibar, where he had gone to cover the treason trial of eighteen members of the opposition CUF party. Sultan was prevented from going in by uniformed […]
(MISA/IFEX) – The “Daily Mail” in Tanzania reports that on 8 December 1998,
one of its freelance journalists, Ali Sultan, was denied access to the Vuga
Magistrate’s Court in Zanzibar, where he had gone to cover the treason trial
of eighteen members of the opposition CUF party.
Sultan was prevented from going in by uniformed and plain clothes policemen.
Some ten heavily armed policemen escorted the journalist to an exit even
though he had shown them his press card.
The security officers reportedly denied the journalist access to the court
on the grounds that “the bench is full, there is no more space for
journalists,” and “you came late,” as one plain clothes policeman told the
reporter. However, journalists who attended the session disputed police
claims of “little space in court” saying the reporter’s bench was almost
empty. Apparently only three reporters attended the session on that day.
The “Mail” reports that while the treason trial has not moved an inch since
it began a year ago, police and security officials have frequently harassed
journalists attending the sessions and denied them a chance to sit on the
allocated bench.
