Charges dropped against tortured Zimbabwe journalists

Two newspaper journalists in Zimbabwe, who were tortured last year after publishing a story about an alleged coup plot, have won an important legal battle against the authorities.

The supreme court ruled that controversial public order legislation used to charge them with publishing false information liable to create alarm was an infringement of their constitutional right to freedom of expression.

The verdict means they won't have to face trial , but neither of the journalists was in court to hear it.

One of them, Ray Choto, is currently in Australia receiving pyschiatric treatment following his experiences while detained by the Zimbabwean security services. The BBC correspondent in Zimbabwe says the ruling is an important victory for human rights and law reform campaigners. They have been demanding the repeal of the legislation at issue, which dates back forty years to the days of white minority rule.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service