Zimbabwe charges 45 with treason for viewing Egypt footage

That seems to be the message Robert Mugabe's government has sent with the February 19 arrests of 46 activists for attending a meeting organized by the International Socialist Organization at which footage of the protests were shown and discussed. "They were watching DVD news clips of the protests in Tunisia and Egypt," Roselyn Hanzi, Head of the Human Rights Defender Project for the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights told CPJ. "It was nothing different to what many other Zimbabweans watched also."

Instead, the 46 accused--lawyers, students, and trade unionists--have been accused of plotting to overthrow the Mugabe regime through mass uprisings, she said. The number of accused has since dropped to 45 following the release of one unidentified person who turned state witness. The trial is expected to continue on Monday, when the prosecution will present written submissions in response to the defense application to have all charges dismissed, Hanzi added.

Even coverage of the tense, high-profile trial has proven risky for Zimbabwean journalists. On February 25, the magistrate overseeing the trial had freelance reporter Lucy Yasini arrested in the courtroom after her cell phone went off during the proceedings, according to local journalists. She was cautioned and released after an hour of detention.

Read the full blog post on CPJ.