Eugene Dube, a journalist
critical of King Mswati III, the absolute monarch of Swaziland (eSwatini), has
been beaten by police, arrested and is facing a treason charge.
Dube who published an
online newspaper called Swati Newsweek was arrested on Thursday (23
April 2020). The Swaziland News,
another online newspaper that advocates for democracy in the kingdom, reported
he ‘sustained head injuries after a battalion of armed police arrived at his
home in Nhlangano’.
It said police were ‘seeking
answers regarding critical articles he published about King Mswati’. It
added Dube did not realise they were police because they were not in uniform
and he tried to escape through a window.
 |
| Eugene Dube |
The Swaziland News
reported Dube was taken to Nhlangano Police Station and questioned about two
articles headlined ‘King reckless on Swazis health’ and ‘Removing King is
possible’.
Dube told the newspaper,
‘The police informed me that I was facing a treason charge for publishing
the articles about the King and after the questioning I was taken to the
Magistrate court where they advised that I confess to committing the crime. I
politely asked the magistrate to at least allow me to seek services of a lawyer.’
The website of Swati
Newsweek has since been removed.
Swaziland is ruled by King
Mswati as an absolute monarch. Political parties are barred from taking part in
elections. The king appoints the prime minister and government as well as top
judges and civil servants. Groups calling for democratic reform are banned under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.
Dube is not the only
journalist under threat for reporting about the king. Last month Zweli Martin
Dlamini, the editor of the Swaziland News, fled
to neighbouring South Africa after he had been arrested and tortured by
Swazi police who accused him of sedition.
Dlamini
had previously fled to South Africa in fear of his life in 2018. He had
received death threats from a local businessman and his newspaper Swaziland
Shopping was shut down by the Swazi government.
Earlier this week the group
Reporters Without Borders in its annual World Press Freedom
Index reported there was ‘no media freedom’ in Swaziland. It said, ‘Far
from being an independent protector of rights and freedoms, the judicial system
is often used to undermine journalism.’
It added, ‘Harassment, intimidation and physical violence against journalists are all common and result in almost constant self-censorship.’
It added, ‘Harassment, intimidation and physical violence against journalists are all common and result in almost constant self-censorship.’
 |
| The website has been taken down |
See also
‘No
media freedom’ in Swaziland, Reporters Without Borders annual report states
Swaziland
journalist ‘tortured by police after criticising absolute monarch in newspaper
articles’
https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/swaziland-journalist-tortured-by-police.html
Newspaper editor flees Swaziland for second time after arrest and police torture
Newspaper editor flees Swaziland for second time after arrest and police torture
‘Attempt
made to poison journalist critic of Swaziland’s absolute monarch,’ editor says
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