Five foreign journalists detained in Zimbabwe 04/04/2008 - 11:55:17
Five people were detained yesterday after police and security agents entered a hotel in Zimbabwe's capital Harare.
A British national among the group has been charge with breaching the country’s strict media laws.
He was charged last night with practising journalism without a licence, according to British officials. It is understood that a New York Times reporter has been charged with the same offence.
Zimbabwean lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa told the Associated Press that of the five detained following the raid on a hotel yesterday, two were jailed with the other three being released.
Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times, later confirmed that its correspondent Barry Bearak was among the reporters initially taken away. The identities of the others have not been determined.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said today: “We can confirm that a British national has been detained in Zimbabwe. He was charged last night with practising journalism without accreditation.”
Hotel rooms used by the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were also ransacked, according to MDC officials.
The raids come as President Robert Mugabe prepares to hold a meeting with senior members of his Zanu-PF party.
Mugabe – facing his biggest political crisis in 28 years – yesterday appeared to launch his campaign for a run-off presidential ballot even before the official results of the election were announced.
Some observers fear that Mugabe plans to use tactics of intimidation and violence during the three-week campaign to ensure victory in the second round of voting.
The MDC has claimed its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has obtained the 50%-plus share of the vote required for him to be named president without a second-round run-off against Mugabe.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday repeated his call for the prompt release of the results of Zimbabwe’s elections, as officials in the African country announced further delays in the process.
Speaking to reporters in Romania, where he is attending a Nato summit, Mr Brown said he did not want to pre-judge the result of the polls, but would like to see the outcome announced soon.
“I hope that the international community will react with a united voice but I cannot presume what the presidential election result is, despite all the rumours and all the reports that there are,” he said.
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