Media Group Condemns Journalists’ Arrest in Zimbabwe

An international press freedom group has condemned the recent arrest of two foreign journalists by Zimbabwean authorities.

Reporters without Borders (RSF) damned Tuesday’s arrest of Al Jazeera reporter Haru Mutasa and cameraman Austin Gundani, who were covering a cabinet meeting inj Harare.

The two were held in custody for over three hours for ‘illegally’ covering a government function, and were reportedly mistreated.

The cabinet meeting was taking place in the absence of both President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Mugabe is attending an African Union summit in Uganda while Tsvangirai is on a regional tour to brief Southern African leaders on political developments, having suspended his participation in the unity government citing frustration by Mugabe’s side of the coalition.

RSF official Clothilde de Coz said the arrest of the two journalists rekindled a fear by foreign journalists of being expelled or abducted, saying she had worse fears for the local press in Zimbabwe who have their kin in the country.

Early this year the Zimbabwean government allowed the BBC and CNN to resume work in the country after banning them in 2008. [ER].