Cablegate: Journalists' Court Appearance Postponed

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001242

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: JOURNALISTS' COURT APPEARANCE POSTPONED

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET POSTING.

1. (U) A Harare magistrate has postponed the hearing
for two journalists arrested on May 1 for "publishing
falsehoods." "Guardian" correspondent Andrew Meldrum
(an American citizen) and "Daily News" reporter Lloyd
Mudiwa appeared in court on May 22, expecting their
case would be heard. Instead, the magistrate postponed
the hearing to May 30. Both reporters face charges
related to a now-disproven story about a woman beheaded
by ruling party supporters.

2. (SBU) Harare-based journalists have told us that
the presiding magistrate finds no merit in the charges
against Meldrum and Mudiwa and wants to dismiss the
case, but has been prevented from doing so by high-
level political pressure.

SULLIVAN

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