This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS HARARE 001218
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/PD (COX AND ROBERTSON), AF/S (KRAFT AND
SCHLACHTER), AF/RA (DIPALMA), NSC (FRAZER)
LONDON FOF GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: "DAILY NEWS" EDITOR ARRESTED AND RELEASED
1. Geoff Nyarota, editor of the independent daily
"The Daily News," was charged on May 20 with publishing
"falsehoods," a violation of the Access to Information
and Protection of Privacy Act. The charge is related
to the now infamous and disproven "beheaded woman"
story, published in the "Daily News" on April 23, 2002.
2. Nyarota pled not guilty and was released after
paying Z$10,000 (about US$182 at the official exchange
rate) after about 5 hours in police custody. He was
not mistreated.
3. This arrest is Nyarota's second in 5 weeks. On
April 15 he was charged with publishing "falsehoods"
because of a report in the "Daily News" that there were
discrepancies between the results announced by the
Registrar General and the actual number of votes cast
in the March presidential election.
SULLIVAN