Zimbabwe: Arbitrary detention of journalist an assault on freedom of expression
'Amnesty International strongly condemns the arrest and detention of Faith Zaba for exercising her constitutionally guaranteed rights as a journalist. This is an assault on the right to freedom of expression and press freedom.
'Zimbabwean authorities must immediately release Faith Zaba and drop all charges against her as she is detained simply for doing her job. Journalism is not a crime. Authorities must allow journalists to carry out their work freely, safely and without fear of harassment, intimidation or reprisals.
'The arrest of journalists such as Zaba, and her colleague Blessed Mhlanga who was arbitrarily detained earlier this year simply for doing their job, are part of an ongoing pattern in which the criminal justice system is being misused to target independent media voices to instill fear and curb press freedom.
'These tactics pose a significant threat to a free media in Zimbabwe and the public's right to information. Authorities must end the growing restriction on civic space in the country and allow everyone to freely exercise their human rights."
Background
Faith Zaba was arrested on 1 July and detained in Harare on allegations of undermining the authority of or insulting the President. According to her lawyer, Chris Mhike, the charge relates to a satirical article published in the weekly's Muckraker column last Friday. Her bail application has been postponed to 3 July, pending a review of her medical record due to her ill health. Zaba's arrest comes after the recent arrest and lengthy detention of another journalist from the same outlet, Alpha Media House's head of news at HSTV, Blessed Mhlanga, who spent 72 days in pretrial detention.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
19 minutes ago
- The National
Israeli forces detain veteran Palestinian journalist in occupied West Bank raid
Israeli forces detained veteran Palestinian journalist Nasser Laham in the occupied West Bank on Monday, the Ma'an news agency reported. He was detained overnight in the village of Al Duha, near Bethlehem, in a raid that caused damage to his house, the agency added. Mr Laham is editor-in-chief of Ma'an and also manages the West Bank operation of Lebanon's Al Mayadeen channel. He is expected to appear in front of a military court on Thursday, the Wafa news agency reported. The Israeli military said in a statement on Monday that soldiers "apprehended a wanted individual in Bethlehem. The wanted individual was transferred to the Israel police for further processing". Mr Laham's detention is the latest episode in Israel's crackdown on journalists in the occupied West Bank, which has accelerated since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. The death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by an Israeli soldier during a raid in Jenin in 2022 sparked widespread condemnation of Israel's actions in Palestine, as well as calls for journalists to be protected. Al Quds newspaper reporter Ali Al Samoudi, who has also worked for international outlets including CNN and Reuters, remains in detention after being held by the Israeli military during a raid in the West Bank city. His family and legal team say he is not being given sufficient medication to manage severe health conditions. Israel's military said he was 'identified with the Islamic Jihad' militant group. Fifty-five Palestinian journalists are being held in Israeli prisons, 49 of whom have been detained since the Gaza war began, Wafa said. Israel banned Qatari outlet Al Jazeera from operating in the country last year, saying its broadcasts endangered national security. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, banned the network in January, but the measure was lifted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in May.
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
Kenya: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)-China South-South Cooperation High-level Meeting Held in Nairobi
On July 4, the high-level meeting of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Project was held at the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. Attendees included Mr. Jiang Wensheng, Vice Minister of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Ms. Tipo, FAO Representative in Kenya ad interim; Dr. Ronoh, Principal Secretary of Kenya's State Department for Agricultural Development; and Ms. Guo Haiyan, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya. The meeting focused on deepening agricultural South-South cooperation, enhancing food security, addressing climate change, and promoting rural development. China has been supporting Kenya for integrated fall armyworm control and low-carbon tea value chain through the FAO SSC/SSTC framework with promising results. The three parties expressed their commitment to further cooperation in promoting Chinese technologies and experience in developing countries to enhance agricultural productivity, facilitate poverty reduction and rural development, and address climate change. The Kenyan side welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in agricultural sector in Kenya and hopes that China provide trade facilitation for Kenyan agricultural exports to its vast market. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Kenya.
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
Egypt wins FAO council leadership for 1st time
Arab Finance: Egypt has been awarded the chairmanship of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) executive council for the next four years, Egypt's Ambassador to Italy Bassam Rady announced. Mina Rizk, Deputy Permanent Representative of Egypt to the FAO, has been elected as the Chair of the Executive Council, becoming the first Egyptian to hold this position in the organization's 80-year history, dating back to 1945. The decision followed a highly competitive election that involved five candidates from the FAO's regional groups, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Being 38 years old, Rizk is the youngest ever to hold this major position at FAO, according to Rady. He added that the election reflects Egypt's vision under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to invest in and prepare young professionals for global leadership. The ambassador also highlighted that Rizk's candidacy supports the Egyptian embassy in Rome's efforts to build highly qualified diplomatic cadres capable of representing Egypt on the global stage. © 2020-2023 Arab Finance For Information Technology. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
