Ruling on journalist’s bail application pending

Ruling in the bail application by jailed Chiredzi- based freelance journalist Patrick Chitongo sentenced to a year’s imprisonment for publishing an unregistered newspaper is expected on 2 July 2015 after the State opposed the application.

Hearing into the application for bail pending appeal against both conviction and sentence was heard before Chiredzi magistrate Tafadzwa Mhlanga.

MISA-Zimbabwe Legal Officer Jacqueline Chikakano travelled to Chiredzi on 1 July 2015 to determine the form of support that the organisation can render to the journalist and his family.

She subsequently met with the jailed journalist’s wife to render support in that regard under MISA-Zimbabwe’s Legal Defunds Fund.

Chitongo was sentenced to an effective eight months imprisonment following suspension of four months of the sentence on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

Chitongo was convicted for contravening Section 72 (1) of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), which states: No person shall carry on or operate a mass media service without a valid registration certificate.

Post published in: Human Rights

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