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British journalist convicted under AIPPA
MISA-Zimbabwe
April 03, 2007

Alexander John Perry, a British reporter with Time magazine was on 2 April 2007 convicted under the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) for practicing journalism in Zimbabwe without accreditation.

Perry spent three nights in custody after he was arrested on 30 March 2007 in West Nicholson, a mining town in Zimbabwe's Matabeleland South Province where he was gathering information on a nationwide police operation to curb illegal gold mining.

He was fined Z$100 (US40 cents) after Gwanda provincial magistrate Ernest Chidawanyika convicted him of contravening section 79 (1) of AIPPA as read with section 80 (1) (d) which states that it is illegal for a journalist to practice journalism in Zimbabwe without being accredited by the state-controlled Media and Information Commission.

Perry who is based in Cape Town, South Africa, becomes the fourth journalist working for foreign media organisations to be convicted and fined under AIPPA since its enactment in 2002. In November 2006 Beauty Mokoba and Keketso Seofela who work for Botswana Television were the first to be convicted under AIPPA for entering and practicing journalism in Zimbabwe without accreditation.

Zimbabwean E-TV reporter Peter Moyo who is based in South Africa was in March 2007 fined $400 000 (USd 160) for a similar offence. Moyo was convicted and fined together with Trymore Zvidzai who is based in South Africa.

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