Harare - Two journalists have been arrested in Zimbabwe on
suspicion of contravening coronavirus regulations, a police spokesman
said on Sunday.
The two journalists also refused to obey a police officer's order,
spokesman Paul Nyathi said. Both were charged in court on Saturday
and now are being held in custody until their bail hearing on
Tuesday.
Human rights organizations strongly condemned the arrests and called
for the journalists' release.
"The Zimbabwe authorities should immediately set free the two
journalists and drop the spurious charges of violating Covid-19
regulations that they are facing," said Dewa Mavhinga, who
heads Human Rights Watch in South Africa.
"The two were arrested in the course of doing their duties which are
classified as essential services under the Covid-19 regulations, this
amounts to muzzling of the media and severely undermines attempts by
Zimbabwe to present itself as a country respectful of the rule of law
and human rights," Mavhinga said.
The journalists were arrested in Harare on Friday as they sought to
interview three members of the opposition in hospital who had
allegedly been abducted, according to the charge sheet.
After consulting with the hospital, police decided not to let the
journalists into the hospital in accordance with the coronavirus
regulations.
The journalists are accused of entering the next day through a back
door and then failing to keep to the social distancing regulations,
according to the charge sheet.
The journalists had permission from the victims and the hospital to
enter and ask questions, said Paidamoyo Saurombe, the journalists'
lawyer.