Jailed journalist Patrick Chitongo applies for bail

Jailed journalist Patrick Chitongo applies for bail

WINDHOEK, Namibia, 03 July 2015 / PRN Africa / -- The defence representing Zimbabwean freelance journalist Patrick Chitongo sentenced to a year's imprisonment for publishing an unregistered newspaper will on 1 July 2015 file an application for bail pending appeal against both conviction and sentence.




Hearing into the bail application will be held before Chiredzi magistrate Tafadzwa Mhlanga. MISA-Zimbabwe Legal Officer Jacqueline Chikakano will attend the application proceedings to determine the form of support that the organisation can render to the journalist and his family.




On the 26th of June, as MISA reported, 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.




Background




Chitongo was jointly charged with Tafadzwa Mhlanga, Givemore Kadzwida, and Courage Bandera. The four stood accused of collaborating to publish a newspaper that was not registered with the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), with a view to selling it.




They proceeded to publish three issues of the unregistered newspaper titled, the Southern Mirror.




However, Chitongo's co-accused defendants were subsequently acquitted after they were established to be students who were not involved in the publication of the newspaper.


SOURCE Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)


-------
Profile: intent