The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the immediate release of Bheki Makhubu, editor of the Swaziland independent news magazine the Nation, and lawyer Thulani Maseko.
Amnesty International has declared both men ‘prisoners of conscience’.
Ditshwanelo, The Botswana
Centre for Human Rights, which is a member of the Southern Africa Human Rights
Defenders Network (SAHRDN), called Makhubu and Maesko, ‘two human rights
defenders’.
Both men have been charged
with contempt of court after articles were published in the Nation magazine accusing the judiciary
in Swaziland of improper conduct in a case involving Bhantshana
Gwebu, the government’s chief motor vehicle inspector, who was arrested after
impounding a vehicle used by another high court judge. After a week in custody,
Gwebu was released on bail. His case is pending in the high court.
CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Sue Valentine said in a statement, ‘These
arrests make a mockery of Swaziland's constitution, which is supposed to uphold
freedom of expression.’
In a statement Ditshwanelo
said, ‘SAHRDN has been monitoring developments in the Kingdom of Swaziland and
is alarmed by the serious deterioration of the human rights situation.
Arbitrary arrests, detention and malicious prosecution of human rights
defenders, including members of the legal profession and journalists continue
unabated.’
Amnesty
International said, ‘We consider Bhekithemba Makhubu and Thulani Maseko
to be prisoners of conscience, arrested and detained merely for exercising
their right to freedom of expression. The Swaziland authorities must release
them immediately and unconditionally.’
In an interview with German
broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Mary Rayner a researcher
on Swaziland at Amnesty International, said the arrests of Makhubu and Maseko
had ‘an intimidating effect’.
She added, ‘There has been various ways in which the journalists'
community and publishing community in Swaziland over a period of years has been
subjected to threats and intimidation and seizure of material and using also
some of the aspects of the draconian terrorism acts to silence the publication
of information and opinion.’
See also
See also
AMNESTY
ATTACKS SWAZI JUSTICE
SWAZI EDITOR AND LAWYER JAILED
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