Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has been re-arrested by the police on charges of contempt of court for making a post on Twitter “undermine the integrity of the courts.’’
Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi told dpa that “I can confirm that Hopewell Chin’ono was arrested on Tuesday and is currently in police custody waiting to appear in court.
Chin’ono’s re-arrest comes after previously spending nearly six weeks in prison on accusations of supporting an anti-government protest. He was released on bail in September pending trial, New York Times report.
However, DPA also reported that the terms of that bail prohibit him from posting on Twitter, prompting his recent arrest.
According to Roselyn Hanzi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, an organization representing the outspoken journalist, Chin’ono is being held at a police station in the capital, Harare.
He was charged with contempt of court for making a post on Twitter that allegedly impaired the dignity of Zimbabwe’s Chief Justice Luke Malaba, said Hanzi.
If convicted Chin’ono faces a fine or up to one year in prison, according to the charge, she said.
Chin’ono’s investigations into alleged graft surrounding supplies for the coronavirus pandemic led to the sacking and arrest of health minister Obadiah Moyo. (dpa/NYT)
