Nyarota trial referred to Supreme Court

The trial of Daily News editor Geoff Nyarota and his reporter Lloyd Mudiwa was referred to the Supreme Court after their lawyers said the case raised serious constitutional issues.

Mudiwa and Nyarota are charged with publishing falsehoods after a story written by Mudiwa which claimed that a woman had been beheaded by Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front supporters turned out to be untrue.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE1715, MEDIA REPORT MUDIWA TRIAL REFERRED TO SUPREME

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UNCLAS HARARE 001715

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA

POSTS FOR PAS

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KPAO OIIP PHUM ZI

SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MUDIWA TRIAL REFERRED TO SUPREME

COURT; HARARE

The trial of “Daily News” reporter Lloyd Mudiwa and his

editor Geoffrey Nyarota has been referred to the country’s

Supreme Court. A Zimbabwean magistrate, Sandra Nhau,

yesterday (July 24) agreed with defense lawyers that the

case raised “serious constitutional matters.” Mudiwa and

Nyarota are facing charges of publishing a false story

under the newly enacted Access to Information and

Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). Last week a magistrate

acquitted Andrew Meldrum, a U. S. national reporting for

the British-based “Guardian” newspaper, of similar charges.

SULLIVAN

(104 VIEWS)