“The recurrent violations of journalists basic rights and the complete disregard for the rule of law of the Zimbabwean leadership and law enforcement agencies are unacceptable,” the WAN Board said in a resolution approved in Cape Town, South Africa, during the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, the global meetings of the world's press.

The resolution said:

“The Board of the World Association of Newspapers, meeting at the 60th World Newspaper Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, from 3 to 6 June 2007, strongly condemns the continuing harassment, forceful arrest and detention of journalists and the overall repressive government policy against a free press in Zimbabwe.

“The recurrent violations of journalists' basic rights and the complete disregard for the rule of law of the Zimbabwean leadership and law enforcement agencies are unacceptable. WAN is also alarmed by the recent assaults against human rights lawyers representing journalists in court.

“WAN is appalled by the 29 March abduction and murder of former Zimbabwe state broadcaster ZBC cameraman Edward Chikombo, whose killing might be related to the leaking of footage of police brutality against opposition activists earlier that month.

“WAN as well condemns the recent threat of reprisal made by the Information Ministry to foreign correspondents over what it considered to be ‘fabricated stories'.

“Asphyxiate very last private media”

“In its policy to suppress press freedom and to asphyxiate the very last private media, the government is assisted by the Media Information Commission (MIC), which disrupts independent newspapers and strips journalists from their accreditation. In this context, WAN wishes to praise the rulings regularly made by Zimbabwean courts, including the Harare High Court, to quash abusive MIC decisions.

“The Board of WAN calls on President Robert Mugabe to put an end to arbitrary and violent arrest and detention of journalists, to firmly commit to the rule of law and to uphold international standards of freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Zimbabwe.”

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18 000 newspapers; its membership includes 77 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 10 regional and world-wide press groups.

[5 Jun 2007 14:57]

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