A Zimbabwean court has released a US journalist and a British national
on bail after charging them with reporting on the March 29 elections
without accreditation, writes Torby Muturikwa.
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"They have both been released on 300 million dollars bail," lawyer Harrison Nkomo said after the court appearance.
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New York Times correspondent Barry Bearak, 58, and the unnamed 45-year-old British national have been told to reappear in court for a routine remand and ordered to stay in Harare.
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The pair were arrested at York Lodge on April 4 and spent four nights behind bars.
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Bearak, who won a Pulitzer prize in 2002 for his reporting from Afghanistan, has been ordered to stay at the US embassy.
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The Briton has been remanded in hospital following injuries sustained when he slipped while in custody.
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Armed policemen stormed York Lodge and arrested the two journalists who are being charged for breaching the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, AIPPA.
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Under the law, it is an offence to practice journalism without a license from the government regulator, the Media and Information Commission.
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Zimbabwean authorities barred most foreign media from covering 29 March presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections.
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A number of international news organisations such the BBC, CNN, MSNBC and South African terrestrial broadcaster e.tv were banned from covering the elections.
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However a number of news organisations, including the BBC, have been filing reports from correspondents operating under cover.
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The Zimbabwe Electoral Commisison is yet to release the results of the Presidential election, almost two weeks after polling.
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