Journalist charged, beaten in police custody

By Torby Chimhashu

ZIMBABWEAN police charged a journalist with practising without accreditation after seizing him from a bar in Harare's Sunningdale suburb Sunday.

Lawyers representing Gift Phiri -- a reporter for the Zimbabwean newspaper published from London and distributed in Zimbabwe -- have claimed that he was heavily assaulted in police custody.

Rangu Nyamurundira, Phiri's lawyer, said the newsman was unable to sit, walk or support himself after the assaults.

He said: ”He was beaten on the buttocks, back and on the soles of his feet by police using baton sticks.

"He told me he was forced to sign a warned and cautioned statement in which the state is alleging he is practising journalism without accreditation and writing
falsehoods."

Nyamurundira said police initially had accused Phiri of throwing petrol bombs
in Harare.

The Zimbabwean journalist was arrested on Sunday afternoon while drinking with friends from the same neighbourhood at Sunningdale shopping center.

In January 2006, Phiri was waylaid on his way home and heavily assaulted by
suspected state security agents using knuckle-dusters.

Phiri becomes the fourth journalist to be assaulted by police in as many weeks
following savage attacks on Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai Mukwazhi and
Tendai Musiyazviriyo.

The trio was brutally beaten by police while covering a prayer meeting by civic groups and members of the fractious opposition MDC in the poor township of Highfield on March 11.

Tamborinyoka was recently beaten and tortured, again in police custody. He is
recovering at a private hospital in the city.

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