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Defence applies for acquittal of British journalists
MISA-Zimbabwe
April 13, 2005

The defence on 13 April 2005 applied for the acquittal of two British journalists accused of breaching the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIIPA) and the country’s Immigration Act arguing that the State had failed to prove its case against the two.

Defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa made the application at the close of the State case during the trial which is being held in Norton, about 40 km outside Harare.

Magistrate Never Diza is expected to make his ruling on the defence application at 2pm tomorrow.

Tony Harnden, Sunday Telegraph chief correspondent, and his photographer Julian Simmonds, were arrested on 31 March 2005 at a polling station in Norton without accreditation from the Media and Information Commission in terms of AIPPA.

The two journalists have pleaded not guilty arguing that they were in Zimbabwe as tourists and not for purposes of covering the parliamentary elections which were held on 31 March 2005.

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