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Police accussed for resuming onslaught against journalist
26 Oct 2015 at 07:03hrs | Views
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have accused the Zimbabwean police for resuming the onslaught agai9nst journalists amid reports on Friday last week they law enforcement agents arrested three journalists in Rusape.
"Police on Friday 23 October 2015 resumed their onslaught against media practitioners by detaining and interrogating three journalists in Rusape in Manicaland province," said ZLHR.
"Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members detained senior freelance journalist Sydney Saize, Bernard Chiketo of The Daily News and Kenneth Nyangani, a correspondent for NewsDay, for more than one hour after they apprehended them while covering a demonstration staged by some MDC-T party supporters outside Rusape Magistrates Court."
The organisation said the journalists had been covering the court appearance of Tazviona Marima, the MDC-T party organising secretary for Makoni Central District, who was granted $100 bail after he was arrested on Wednesday 21 October 2015 and charged with criminal nuisance.
"Chief Superintendent Garikayi Gwangwava, the Officer Commanding Makoni Central District and Superintendent Enock Chishiri among other ZRP members took turns to interrogate the journalists and profiled them noting down their identification details and their residential addresses," said ZLHR.
"The police also denied the journalists' lawyer Taurai Khupe of Khupe and Associates, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, access to his clients."
ZLHR said Saize, Chiketo and Nyangani were only released after the interrogation sessions and after the ZRP members and officers rummaged through the media practitioners' notepads, recorders and cameras.
"Meanwhile, several MDC-T supporters including David Tekeshe, the Deputy-Treasurer for Manicaland province were reportedly left injured severely after they were brutally assaulted by police officers who broke up the protest at the court," the organisation said.
"Police on Friday 23 October 2015 resumed their onslaught against media practitioners by detaining and interrogating three journalists in Rusape in Manicaland province," said ZLHR.
"Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members detained senior freelance journalist Sydney Saize, Bernard Chiketo of The Daily News and Kenneth Nyangani, a correspondent for NewsDay, for more than one hour after they apprehended them while covering a demonstration staged by some MDC-T party supporters outside Rusape Magistrates Court."
The organisation said the journalists had been covering the court appearance of Tazviona Marima, the MDC-T party organising secretary for Makoni Central District, who was granted $100 bail after he was arrested on Wednesday 21 October 2015 and charged with criminal nuisance.
"Chief Superintendent Garikayi Gwangwava, the Officer Commanding Makoni Central District and Superintendent Enock Chishiri among other ZRP members took turns to interrogate the journalists and profiled them noting down their identification details and their residential addresses," said ZLHR.
"The police also denied the journalists' lawyer Taurai Khupe of Khupe and Associates, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, access to his clients."
ZLHR said Saize, Chiketo and Nyangani were only released after the interrogation sessions and after the ZRP members and officers rummaged through the media practitioners' notepads, recorders and cameras.
"Meanwhile, several MDC-T supporters including David Tekeshe, the Deputy-Treasurer for Manicaland province were reportedly left injured severely after they were brutally assaulted by police officers who broke up the protest at the court," the organisation said.
Source - Byo24News
