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ZLHR bemoans escalation of journalists' harassment by police
14 Nov 2015 at 08:27hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on Thursday lamented the continued harassment and arrest of journalists by the police following the arrest of a freelance journalist Andrison Manyere for violating security laws.
"THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) on Thursday 12 November, 2015 stepped its offensive on journalists after arresting tormented freelance journalist Andrison Manyere and charged him with contravening one of the country's tough security laws," said the ZLHR.
"Police officers arrested the 40 year-old Manyere while he was covering an anti-government protest staged in central Harare and took him to Parliament building before detaining him at Harare Central Police Station. The police officers also confiscated his video camera."
The organisation said at Harare Central Police Station, police officers charged Manyere, who was represented by Gift Mtisi of Mtisi Musendekwa Legal Practitioners, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, with contravening Section 37 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry.
"The freelance journalist was released after police recorded a warned and cautioned statement from him in which he denied the charge leveled against him. The police also handed him his video camera," said ZLHR.
"Manyere, a victim of State sponsored abduction and enforced disappearances becomes the eighth journalist to be arrested in less than one month."
TZLHR said the ZRP first arrested three journalists Sydney Saize, Bernard Chiketo and Kenneth Nyangani on 23 October 2015 for covering the court appearance of some opposition political party leaders in Rusape in Manicaland province.
"The trio was set free after the intervention of their lawyers from ZLHR but after police officers took turns to interrogate and profile them, noting down their identification details and their residential addresses," revealed ZLHR.
"The police officers later pounced on Mabasa Sasa, Brian Chitemba, Tinashe Farawo and Takunda Maodza on 02 November, 2015 and 03 November, 2015 respectively. The quartet was later freed on bail."
"THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) on Thursday 12 November, 2015 stepped its offensive on journalists after arresting tormented freelance journalist Andrison Manyere and charged him with contravening one of the country's tough security laws," said the ZLHR.
"Police officers arrested the 40 year-old Manyere while he was covering an anti-government protest staged in central Harare and took him to Parliament building before detaining him at Harare Central Police Station. The police officers also confiscated his video camera."
The organisation said at Harare Central Police Station, police officers charged Manyere, who was represented by Gift Mtisi of Mtisi Musendekwa Legal Practitioners, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, with contravening Section 37 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry.
"The freelance journalist was released after police recorded a warned and cautioned statement from him in which he denied the charge leveled against him. The police also handed him his video camera," said ZLHR.
"Manyere, a victim of State sponsored abduction and enforced disappearances becomes the eighth journalist to be arrested in less than one month."
TZLHR said the ZRP first arrested three journalists Sydney Saize, Bernard Chiketo and Kenneth Nyangani on 23 October 2015 for covering the court appearance of some opposition political party leaders in Rusape in Manicaland province.
"The trio was set free after the intervention of their lawyers from ZLHR but after police officers took turns to interrogate and profile them, noting down their identification details and their residential addresses," revealed ZLHR.
"The police officers later pounced on Mabasa Sasa, Brian Chitemba, Tinashe Farawo and Takunda Maodza on 02 November, 2015 and 03 November, 2015 respectively. The quartet was later freed on bail."
Source - Byo24News
