By Durell Namasani
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has issued a statement demanding the immediate release of Investigative Journalist Vitusi Gregory Gondwe. This follows news that Police raided the offices of Platform
for Investigative Journalism (PIJ, where they confisticated computers and arrested Vitusi,taking him to unknown location.
In a statement signed by HRDC director Gift Trapense, HRDC has learnt with great
shock and serious concern the alleged arrest and intimidation by police
officers of journalist Vitus-Gregory Gondwe, the Director of the Platform
for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) and seizure of computers and phones
over a document PIJ used for a recent story.
“HRDC strongly condemns any harassment and intimidation of
journalists and media houses. Journalists and media houses must be
allowed to report freely, without fear of reprisal or hostility. We,
therefore, call for the immediate and unconditional release Vitus
Gregory Gondwe and the return of all the confiscated items.”
“The media plays an important role in providing effective channel for the
flow of information between citizens, duty bearers and other
stakeholders in the development process. Therefore, it is our view that
any attack or harassment of journalists or media houses is not only a
violation of the media’s freedom to seek and share information, but is
also an infringement on the citizens’ democratic right to seek, receive
and share information through their preferred media channels.
The Constitution of Malawi clearly provides for and guarantees media
freedom. Section 37 of the Constitution states that all citizens have “the
right of access to all information held by the State or any of itsorgans at any level of Government in so far as such information
is required for the exercise of his rights”.
We, therefore, remind the Malawi Police Service and other state agents
that they have a constitutional obligation, to protect journalists, not to
hinder them from doing their work.”
Police in Blantyre today morning stormed offices of Platform for Investigative Journalism in Malawi and seized some gadgets belonging to its journalists.
Police demanded Gregory Gondwe to reveal where he got his information which he used in one of his investigative pieces against Zuneth Sattar.
In that Story, the Platform for Investigative Journalism exposed how government recently paid Zuneth Sattar’s entities despite Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda issuing a ban on the same.
Gondwe’s colleague Golden Matonga has told us that the police put Gondwe under arrest and took away his phones. He said that currently his whereabouts are unknown.
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