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Journalist released
MISA-Zimbabwe
Janaury 19, 2006

Sydney Saize, a journalist with the banned Daily News, who was arrested on 18 January 2006, was released on Saturday after spending three nights in police custody on allegations of breaching the country’s draconian media laws.

Saize was released early in the morning on 21 January 2005 after the State indicated it would be proceeding by way of summons. He was released after his lawyer, Innocent Gonese filed an urgent application to compel the State to bring him before the courts.

He was being accused of practising journalism without accreditation in terms of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and publication of falsehoods in terms of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

Background
Charges against Saize arose from a story that the police say was broadcast on Voice of America’s Studio 7 and which they are linking to Saize.

The police allege Saize wrote a false story for VOA alleging that war veterans and youths from the National Training Camps had beaten some teachers in Mutare in what could have been a politically motivated attack.

Section 83 of AIPPA criminalises practising journalism without accreditation by the Media and Information Commission (MIC). Saize is, however, among a number of journalists from the Daily News who were denied accreditation by the government controlled MIC in 2003.

The second charge arises from the alleged violation of Section 15 of POSA, which deals with the publication of falsehoods. The offence carries a fine of $100 000 or a five-year jail term or both such fine and imprisonment.

Gonese can be reached on 00 263 (0)11 231 253 or 00 263 (0) 91 213 253.

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