Harare news bosses charged

The paper says the new media law restricts free speech

Four directors of Zimbabwe's only independent privately-owned newspaper have been charged under strict media laws.

Police have also raided the offices of the Daily News, which is critical of President Robert Mugabe.

The newspaper has been unable to publish since 12 September when police first sealed the offices.

Associated Newspapers group chief executive Sam Sipepa Moyo, and three others were questioned by police and then charged with illegally publishing a newspaper, says the company's legal spokesperson.

Under media laws, introduced after President Mugabe's election win in 2002, all newspapers and journalists must be registered with a state-appointed media commission.

But the newspaper's application for a licence from the Media and Information Commission was rejected on Friday for "failing to meet the requirements of the law".

It is the most serious attack yet on freedom of expression Brian Raftopoulos Crisis Coalition Journalists' fears

The Daily News only applied some eight and a half months after the expiry of the deadline for registration. It said the media law was designed to stifle the press and initially refused to apply for accreditation.

The commission ruled that the Daily News had been operating illegally and had also failed to supply the commission with free copies of the paper, as required under the new media law, it said.

Last week, a high court judge ruled that the Daily News should be allowed to resume operations.

Defiance

ANZ's chief executive, Sam Sipepa Nkomo, has vowed to keep up the fight through the courts.

Mugabe blames the West for the crisis in Zimbabwe

"They never wanted to register us... These events challenge all of us to speak out and demand an end to such injustice", Mr Nkomo said on Saturday.

The Zimbabwe state controls the country's two other daily papers and the single television and radio broadcast station.

Brian Raftopoulos, a spokesman for the Crisis Coalition of civic organizations and church and independent human rights groups, has warned of further crackdowns by President Mugabe's government.

"Without an independent daily newspaper to comment on and expose these injustices, attacks on human rights and constitutional freedoms are likely to continue," he said.

"It is the most serious attack yet on freedom of expression," he said.