MEDIA ALERT

3 MARCH 2003

COURT ISSUES WARRANT OF ARREST AGAINST FORMER EDITOR

The Magistrate’s court, on 28 February, issued a warrant of arrest against Geoff Nyarota, former editor of The Daily News.

The warrant was issued after Nyarota failed to appear in court for the hearing in which he is charged with publishing falsehoods. Nyatota is jointly charged with Lloyd Mudiwa a Daily News reporter. The two are being prosecuted under section 80 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). The state alleges that Nyarota as the editor and Mudiwa, a reporter, published a false story last year. The story alleged that ruling party supporters had beheaded an opposition party member. The story was later proved to be false and the paper apologized and retracted the story. Nyarota and Mudiwa applied to have the Supreme Court determine the constitutionality of the law they are being charged under.

Unconfirmed information in the hands of MISA-Zimbabwe says that Nyarota is on a scholarship overseas.

END
Rashweat Mukundu
Research and Information Officer
MISA-Zimbabwe
221 Fife Ave
Box HR 8113
Harare
Zimbabwe
Phone 00 263 4 712 841 , 735 441/2
Mobile 00 263 4 11 602 685
E Mail [email protected] [2]