American, British journalists acquitted

• British journalist convicted, fined

• Bulawayo blogger held in media clampdown

• US journalist, Briton released on bail

• Foreign journalists seized in police raid on hotel

• Zimbabwe Independent suspends reporter over CIO leak

• Chief Justice reverses MIC ban on journalist

• CNN banned from Zimbabwe elections

• Probe as CIO boss obtains unpublished Independent story

• Mugabe's spokesman reads riot act to foreign correspondents

• Zimbabwe to screen foreign journalists

• Journalist petitions High Court over ban

• Zim bans journalist from practising for a year

• BBC journalist reports live from Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe passes amendments to media, security laws

• Zimbabwe publishes amendments to media, security laws

• Fingaz fires journalists over 'I earn more than you' jibes

• Mugabe accuses journalists of bias

• Japhet Ncube: Do lies really outsell the truth?

A COURT in Zimbabwe acquitted an American and a British reporter on Wednesday who had been charged with covering Zimbabwe's March 29 election without official accreditation.

"They have been acquitted," said Beatrice Mtetwa, a lawyer for the journalists. "The state failed to prove that they had committed a crime."

Pulitzer prize winner Barry Bearak, an American working for the New York Times, and British freelance reporter Stephen Bevan were arrested on April 3 and released on bail of 300 million Zimbabwean dollars (3.80 pounds).

The New York Times said that while in custody, Bearak had suffered injuries as a result of falling from the bunk in his cell to the concrete floor, 7 feet (2 metres) below. It made no suggestion that foul play was involved.

Authorities have limited the international media's access to Zimbabwe.

Two South African technicians working for a satellite television service company were also arrested by Zimbabwean police, but were later released and have since returned home.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom watchdog, had voiced concern over the arrests and called for the immediate release of all journalists in detention. - Reuters
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com