Cablegate: Media Report Editor Arrested; Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HARARE 000952

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER,
AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT EDITOR ARRESTED; HARARE

Geoff Nyarota, Editor-in-Chief of Zimbabwe's only
independent daily "The Daily News," was picked up by the
police on April 15 on allegations of publishing a false
news item on the outcome of the disputed March 2002
presidential poll. Nyarota was taken to the Harare Central
Police Station where the police recorded a warned and
cautioned statement from him before releasing him on the
same day. According to the lead article in the April 16
edition of the "Daily News," Nyarota will be charged under
the newly enacted Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act for having falsified information on the outcome
of the presidential results. Last Wednesday (April 10) the
"Daily News" carried a story accusing the Registrar-General
Tobaiwa Mudede of announcing different presidential results
on the national broadcasting station, ZTV, and in other
media. The paper carried the offending story under the
headline "Mudede Tape proves Mugabe lost election." If
found guilty, Nyarota will be liable, according to the Act,
to a fine not exceeding Z$100,000 or to imprisonment for a
period not exceeding two years.

WHITEHEAD

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