MEDIA ALERT

17 SEPTEMBER 2003

PHOTOGRAPHERS ARRESTED

Two photographers, Tsvangirai Mukwazhi of the Associated Press and Paul Cadenhead of Reuters were arrested on 15 September at the offices of The Daily News.

The two were taking photos of the police seizing The Daily News’s computers and other equipment. They were immediately arrested and taken to the Harare Central police station were they were charged under the Miscellaneous Offences Act, section 7 for allegedly interfering with police work. MISA-Zimbabwe hired lawyer Lawrence Chibwe on behalf of the two and they were finally released at 6 pm in the evening. The two spent seven hours at the police station. Chibwe told MISA-Zimbabwe that the police wanted to deport Paul Cadenhead who holds a British passport on the grounds the he was a foreigner operating as a media worker without a license. Chibwe said that the police later comprised and allowed the two to pay an admission of guilty fine of $5000 (approx 6 $US).

Chibwe said that although they reached a compromise with the police that the photographers pay a fine, this was only because the police wanted to detain the two overnight. He adds that the charge has no merit since the photographers never interfered with the work of the police, but were infact manhandled and dragged to the police station for simply taking photographs.

END.

Rashweat Mukundu
Research and Information Officer
MISA-Zimbabwe
84 McChlery Ave
Eastlea
Box HR 8113
Harare
Zimbabwe
Phone 00 263 4 7761 65
Mobile 00 263 11 602 685
E mail [email protected]