Friday 5 June 2009

NUJ highlights Zimbabwe arrests

The NUJ is calling for the immediate release of two Zimbabwean journalists arrested at lunchtime today in Harare.
The union says Chris Mahove was seized for taking pictures of a demonstration by Harare City Council employees for The Worker, the journal of the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions.
His editor Ben Madzimure was arrested while at a police station enquiring about his colleague. They are both members of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists. Last month Zimbabwe's prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai invited foreign media who had been banned back to the country and said he deplored the arrest of journalists.
Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ deputy general, said: "This incident is a real test for the power-sharing government. If they are serious about press freedom they must release Chris and Ben immediately."

No comments: