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Zimbabwe journalists arrested for linking police with elephant poisonings

Anomalism

Anomalism

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Zimbabwe journalists arrested for linking police with elephant poisonings | World news | The Guardian

Three journalists from a state-run weekly newspaper in Zimbabwe will be charged with slander for a front-page story that implicated an unnamed top police officer and other officials in fatal cyanide poisonings of more than 60 elephants for tusks. Sunday Mail editor Mabasa Sasa, investigations editor Brian Chitemba and reporter Tinashe Farawo were arrested on Monday, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said. “The editors and reporters cannot be allowed to hide behind the privilege of press freedom to peddle falsehoods,” Charamba said. “Our investigations show that the trio is lying.”

Amnesty International called the detention of the three journalists “a shocking attempt to threaten freedom of the press” and called for their immediate release. “Arresting journalists on the basis of ‘publishing falsehoods’ has a chilling effect that may restrict the ability of the media to expose alleged criminal activities by the authorities,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s deputy director for Southern Africa. “These actions create a climate of fear in Zimbabwe and perpetuate impunity.” Defence lawyer James Muzangaza said his clients will appear in court on Wednesday.
 
Anomalism said:
Zimbabwe journalists arrested for linking police with elephant poisonings | World news | The Guardian

Three journalists from a state-run weekly newspaper in Zimbabwe will be charged with slander for a front-page story that implicated an unnamed top police officer and other officials in fatal cyanide poisonings of more than 60 elephants for tusks. Sunday Mail editor Mabasa Sasa, investigations editor Brian Chitemba and reporter Tinashe Farawo were arrested on Monday, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said. “The editors and reporters cannot be allowed to hide behind the privilege of press freedom to peddle falsehoods,” Charamba said. “Our investigations show that the trio is lying.”

Amnesty International called the detention of the three journalists “a shocking attempt to threaten freedom of the press” and called for their immediate release. “Arresting journalists on the basis of ‘publishing falsehoods’ has a chilling effect that may restrict the ability of the media to expose alleged criminal activities by the authorities,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s deputy director for Southern Africa. “These actions create a climate of fear in Zimbabwe and perpetuate impunity.” Defence lawyer James Muzangaza said his clients will appear in court on Wednesday.
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Good. Malicious libelers belong in prison. I'm glad that Zimbabwe doesn't adhere to the insane notions we do.
 
Paleocon said:
Good. Malicious libelers belong in prison. I'm glad that Zimbabwe doesn't adhere to the insane notions we do.
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You want Rush Limbaugh arrested?
 
Paleocon said:
Good. Malicious libelers belong in prison. I'm glad that Zimbabwe doesn't adhere to the insane notions we do.
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You're against free speech and the exposing of governmental corruption?
 
Paleocon said:
For his calling the Pope a communist, yes, he certainly should be.



I'm against telling lies about people, yes.
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"The government can do no wrong" is the official line of liberals and conservatives I guess :roll:
 
Luftwaffe said:
"The government can do no wrong" is the official line of liberals and conservatives I guess :roll:
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Do you believe that slander should be legal?
 
Paleocon said:
So no answer.
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Writing an article exposing a wrong committed by the government =/= slander

And defamation laws in the U.S. are hardly anywhere near the level of those like in a place you might love (like the EU). This is due to the first amendment, which is part of the

spongebob_squarepants_-_Google_Search_-_2015-09-20_22.58.10.jpg
 
Luftwaffe said:
Writing an article exposing a wrong committed by the government =/= slander

And defamation laws in the U.S. are hardly anywhere near the level of those like in a place you might love (like the EU). This is due to the first amendment, which is part of the

View attachment 67192384
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According to the authorities, the article was false. I don't know about you, but I respect authority and don't respect seditious libelers.
 
Paleocon said:
According to the authorities, the article was false. I don't know about you, but I respect authority and don't respect seditious libelers.
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1R7XXkJ.png
 
Paleocon said:
According to the authorities, the article was false. I don't know about you, but I respect authority and don't respect seditious libelers.
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The authorities of Zimbabwe :roll:

Also, the government labeling something that contradicts it as false is awfully fishy to me, and them arresting these journalists seems more like an act of censoring than anything else to me.
 
Luftwaffe said:
The authorities of Zimbabwe :roll:

Also, the government labeling something that contradicts it as false is awfully fishy to me, and them arresting these journalists seems more like an act of censoring than anything else to me.
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You didn't answer my question, should libel be illegal?
 
Luftwaffe said:
You don't have a right to not be criticized for whatever reason.
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So if, as an example (I'm in no way implying this is true), someone were to publish in your hometown newspaper, that (insert your real name here) had been arrested for raping a two year old, and released on bail, that wouldn't be a problem?
 
Paleocon said:
So if, as an example (I'm in no way implying this is true), someone were to publish in your hometown newspaper, that (insert your real name here) had been arrested for raping a two year old, and released on bail, that wouldn't be a problem?
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Refute it. They have no proof. Thats not to say that it would be easy, but once theyre found out lying theyll be out of business in two seconds. Their reputation would be destroyed.
 
Luftwaffe said:
Refute it. They have no proof. Thats not to say that it would be easy, but once theyre found out lying theyll be out of business in two seconds. Their reputation would be destroyed.
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Go ahead and explain how you'd refute it.
 
Paleocon said:
Go ahead and explain how you'd refute it.
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Go to another media outlet and expose them. With a claim like rape there should be a trial scheduled right?

Actually, I dont even need to go another media outlet, that would just help.

Besides, the only way you could win a libel suit in the US is if you prove that there was malice (good luck with that) and that the entity that made the statement knew it was false.

There's pretty much a lack of anti defamation laws in the US and what few state laws that exist are old and rarely prosecuted for a reason. These laws are NOT plaintiff-friendly. Like I said, look back to the first amendment. This conversation is over.
 
Luftwaffe said:
Go to another media outlet and expose them. With a claim like rape there should be a trial scheduled right?

Actually, I dont even need to go another media outlet, that would just help.

Besides, the only way you could win a libel suit in the US is if you prove that there was malice (good luck with that) and that the entity that made the statement knew it was false.

There's pretty much a lack of anti defamation laws in the US and what few state laws that exist are old and rarely prosecuted for a reason. These laws are NOT plaintiff-friendly. Like I said, look back to the first amendment. This conversation is over.
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And you go to this other media outlet, and convince them, and they publish an article showing the other to be false. That's not going to fix your reputation, as it'll just be one newspaper's word against another.

P.S. Actual malice is the standard for public individuals. For a private individual, it is enough in a civil suit to show that they knew or should have known it to be false or baseless. So if someone published an article like that against you, you could successfully sue them for libel. Heck with an article that egregious even a public figure might win a libel action.
 
Anomalism said:
Zimbabwe journalists arrested for linking police with elephant poisonings | World news | The Guardian

Three journalists from a state-run weekly newspaper in Zimbabwe will be charged with slander for a front-page story that implicated an unnamed top police officer and other officials in fatal cyanide poisonings of more than 60 elephants for tusks. Sunday Mail editor Mabasa Sasa, investigations editor Brian Chitemba and reporter Tinashe Farawo were arrested on Monday, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said. “The editors and reporters cannot be allowed to hide behind the privilege of press freedom to peddle falsehoods,” Charamba said. “Our investigations show that the trio is lying.”

Amnesty International called the detention of the three journalists “a shocking attempt to threaten freedom of the press” and called for their immediate release. “Arresting journalists on the basis of ‘publishing falsehoods’ has a chilling effect that may restrict the ability of the media to expose alleged criminal activities by the authorities,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s deputy director for Southern Africa. “These actions create a climate of fear in Zimbabwe and perpetuate impunity.” Defence lawyer James Muzangaza said his clients will appear in court on Wednesday.
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I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Mugabe gave the order to do it himself. (I'm a little rusty on Zim's current events, but I doubt anything's changed there.)

I see that Muleya Mwananyanda doesn't have a clue as to the depths the ZPF will stoop to for a dollar. Obviously it was much more than an attempt to threaten freedom of the press. And the 'climate of fear in Zimbabwe' was created long ago. :roll:

Interested to see how this pans out, plz keep us posted.
 
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