28 Journalists Have Been Arrested In 2020 - Report

Speaking at a virtual meeting that was organised by media lobby groups to discuss journalists under siege, Media Alliance of Zimbabwe chairperson Patience Zirima said 28 journalists were arrested by the state in 2020, Newsday reports.

Zirima said this as she was lobbying for laws to protect journalists from persecution:

When journalists are not protected, it becomes difficult to perform their work. The role of the police in promoting press freedom is very critical. People have a strong belief that arrests of journalists create fear in terms of freedom of information for people to express themselves. If we see a big name like Chin’ono arrested, then people question whether journalists are able to report without getting arrested.

During the same discussion, Binga North legislator Prince Dubeko Sibanda said a law to protect journalists from politicians was supposed to be enacted. Sibanda pointed out the case of renown journalist Hopewell Chin’ono who he said is being persecuted for exposing corruption.

More: Newsday