Confined Zimbabwe Journalist Will Not Apply For Bail

Harare- Zimbabwe journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has declared that he will not apply for bail as he wants to fight and expose the unconstitutional law that he is being charged with.

Chin’ono was arrested on charges of communicating falsehoods after he alleged that members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police had beaten an infant to death while enforcing Covid-19 lockdown rules last week. Police later said the information was false.

In a statement whilst in Remand Prison, Chin’ono said it would be a betrayal of the journalism profession and the nation if he chooses his liberty over the right to free speech.

“I have a choice today to immediately apply for bail and go home or to fight the constitutionality of the law used to charge me, and as a result stay in prison for a couple more weeks whilst doing so. I have chosen to fight the use of this unconstitutional law used against me. If I choose to take bail without exposing the use of unconstitutional laws, the same law will be used against other journalists and ordinary citizens to muzzle them as has happened to Job Sikhala.

“I would have totally sold out the journalism profession and the nation if I chose my immediate liberty over the media’s right to free speech and the nation’s right to speak and be protected after speaking. It is also important to challenge the use of this unconstitutional law so that the world can see where our judiciary stands in regards to rule of law, especially the magistrate’s court,” he said.