DAILY NEWS EDITOR RELEASED, TRAVELS TO U.S.

UNCLAS HARARE 003380 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/P FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: DAILY NEWS EDITOR RELEASED, TRAVELS TO U.S. ¶1. DAILY NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF GEOFFREY NYAROTA AND HIS FORMER BUSINESS PARTNER WILFRED MBANGA WERE RELEASED FROM POLICE CUSTODY ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 AFTER APPEARING IN COURT AND BEING CHARGED WITH THREE COUNTS OF CONTRAVENING A SECTION OF THE ZIMBABWE INVESTMENT CENTER (ZIC) ACT. THE CHARGES RELATE TO THE USE OF TWO SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COMPANY NAMES ON ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION FILED IN 1998. NYAROTA AND MBANGA WERE ARRESTED AT ABOUT 0600 ON NOVEMBER 8 AND DETAINED OVERNIGHT AT THE RHODESVILLE POLICE STATION IN HARARE. THEY APPEARED BEFORE MAGISTRATE WESTON NYAMWANZA ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9. THE TWO PLEADED NOT GUILTY AND WERE RELEASED UPON PAYMENT OF Z$10,000 BAIL EACH. ¶2. MAGISTRATE NYAMWANZA ORDERED NYAROTA AND MBANGA TO SURRENDER THEIR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, REPORT EVERY TUESDAY TO THE POLICE, NOT TO INTERFERE WITH WITNESSES, AND TO REMAIN RESIDENT AT THEIR HOMES UNTIL THE CASE IS CONCLUDED. NYAROTA, HOWEVER, WAS ALLOWED TO DEPART HARARE ON NOVEMBER 11 TO TRAVEL TO NEW YORK WHERE HE WILL ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS' "PRESS FREEDOM AWARD FOR COURAGE IN JOURNALISM" ON NOVEMBER 20. HE IS EXPECTED TO APPEAR AGAIN IN COURT ON NOVEMBER 27. ¶3. MEANWHILE, THE MEDIA INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (MISA) ISSUED A STATEMENT ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, DENOUNCING THE ARREST OF NYAROTA AND MBANGA AS "UNACCEPTABLE IN ANY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY." INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO WROTE AN ARTICLE FOR THE NOVEMBER 13 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" SHARPLY CRITICAL OF THE MISA STATEMENT. MOYO CHARACTERIZED IT "OUTRAGEOUS AND DELIBERATELY CALCULATED TO UNDERMINE THE RULE OF LAW IN ZIMBABWE." UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03380 140910Z SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >