The High Court has dismissed the charges of communicating false information levelled against independent journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono, saying the law used by police to arrest him no longer existed.
Hopewell Chin’ono, who has a large social media following, has been critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule, accusing his government of corruption and mismanagement of state resources.
Chin’ono, 48, has been a fierce critic of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule, accusing his government of corruption and mismanagement. Over the past year, he has spent many weeks behind bars and was hit with several charges, including inciting violence and obstructing justice.
On Wednesday, Chin’ono’s lawyer Harrison Nkomo said the charges of communicating false information had been quashed by the country’s High Court “because the section under which he was charged is no longer part of our law”.
The charges stemmed from a Twitter post by Chin’ono saying a police officer had beaten and killed a child strapped to its mother’s back using a baton after a video of the alleged incident went viral. Police later said investigations showed the baby was alive.
Chin’ono said at the time the charge fell under an “unconstitutional” law. Lawyers backed his claim, noting the criminal code cited by prosecutors was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2014 for being “unfair.
After his arrest in January, his third in six months, the US embassy in Harare had said it was concerned for his welfare.Chin’ono was first arrested in July on charges of inciting violent anti-government protests against alleged state corruption on social media.
The prominent journalist was arrested again in November on charges of obstructing justice, after tweeting about a gold-smuggling case involving political elites.
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