MEDIA REPORT ANOTHER EDITOR ARRESTED; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000954 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT ANOTHER EDITOR ARRESTED; HARARE Police in Harare on April 17 summoned Iden Wetherell, editor of the weekly "Zimbabwe Independent," for questioning over allegations of contravening the newly enacted Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. He was released on the same day. Wetherell's summons come hard on the heels of similar charges this week against Goeff Nyarota, Editor-in-Chief of the independent daily "The Daily News," and "Zimbabwe Independent" Chief reporter Dumisani Muleya. Wetherell and Muleya are being jointly charged for publishing a "false story" linking First Lady Grace Mugabe with a labour dispute involving her brother at a local herbal company. Nyarota was this week charged in connection with a story that accused the Registrar- General's office of manipulating the March presidential poll results in favor of ZANU PF's presidential candidate Robert Mugabe. WHITEHEAD