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http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-zimbabwe- media0131jan30,0,1 732806.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dworld%2Dheadlines Official Seeks Closure of Zimbabwe Paper By ANGUS SHAW Associated Press Writer January 30, 2003, 11:00 PM EST HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The information minister told Zimbabwe's Supreme Court that the country's only independent daily newspaper is illegal and should be punished for flouting stringent media laws, court officials said Thursday. The Daily News has refused to register with the government as required by the laws, the minister, Jonathan Moyo, said in a sworn statement to the court, the officials said. Moyo is the architect of the media laws, which critics say are aimed at stifling criticism of the government. The Daily News admits refusing to register and has asked the court to strike down the law, saying it violates rights to free expression and association. The court has not scheduled a hearing. Moyo said until courts or Parliament repealed the media act it should be obeyed. He asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the newspaper's application and force it to comply or shut down, the officials said. Authorities have cracked down on independent journalists in recent months. Police have arrested 14 local independent journalists, including several from The Daily News, mainly on charges of publishing "falsehoods" that carry a penalty of up to two years in jail. The only journalist to be tried so far was acquitted. The new laws also require foreign journalists to apply for government approval before coming to Zimbabwe. The government routinely denies the requests. No action has been taken against journalists working for state-controlled media. On Monday, Japanese Ambassador Tsuneshige Iiyama said he had not made remarks attributed to him in the state Herald newspaper criticizing the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. The paper is closely controlled by Moyo. Parts of the article were "totally fabricated," the ambassador said in a letter to Herald editor Pikirayi Deketeke. Iiyama also said Moyo had raised "Zimbabwe's bad image." And last week James Morris, the U.N. special envoy to the southern African hunger crisis, complained the Herald fabricated a remark attributed to him praising Zimbabwe's often-violent seizures of white-owned commercial farms. Morris protested a second time after claiming his first protest letter was published in the paper with key words edited out to change the meaning. Three journalists, two of them Americans with government press accreditation, were detained by police for seven hours Tuesday and denied telephone calls and access to a lawyer. On Wednesday, five foreign Lutheran church workers were deported after being accused of being undercover journalists trying to gather information on aid projects to help the Lutheran World Federation raise funds. The Associated Press ------- End of forwarded message ------- -- Outgoing mail is certified virus free Scanned by Norton AntiVirus <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
