Journalists freed on bail in Zimbabwe

Two British journalists have been released on bail today, just hours before they had to appear in court to face charges of violating Zimbabwe’s strict media laws and immigration offences.

Toby Harnden, 35, and Julian Simmonds, 45, who both work for the Sunday Telegraph, were freed from Harare’s central remand prison and handed over to British diplomat David Ashford after being held overnight in defiance of a judge’s bail order.

The two were arrested during Zimbabwe’s March 31 parliamentary elections near a polling station at Norton, 30 miles west of Harare.

They have pleaded not guilty to charges of practising journalism without the government’s Media and Information Commission permission, an offense carrying a possible-two year jail sentence.

They were also charged with overstaying seven-day tourist visas, issued on March 20.

After a government order banning their release expired yesterday, Norton Magistrate Never Diza ordered the two be freed immediately on £85 (€124.80) bail. However, warders briefly refused to comply with the instructions.

They were finally released two hours before they were due in court.

They made no comment on their two-week imprisonment.

Defence lawyer Beatrice Mettle has asked for the charges against them to be summarily dismissed. She has argued the state had failed to prove they were working as journalists or that their tourist visas were valid only for a week.

They were arrested under President Robert Mugabe’s draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which has been condemned by international human rights groups.

It has been used to ban privately owned newspapers critical of the government and arrest more than 40 independent journalists. There have so far been no convictions for any of the wide range of possible offences under the act.

The Zimbabwean government granted accreditation requests to some media but denied others, especially British and American journalists.

Mugabe has singled out Britain for virulent criticism, accusing Prime Minister Tony Blair of trying to sabotage its former colony both economically and politically.