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- Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has been arrested.
- He is accused of posting false information on social media after he posted a video of alleged police brutality.
- Your bond hearing will be Monday.
Zimbabwean police have re-arrested award-winning journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin’ono, as well as one of his advocates, for allegedly posting false information on social media, prosecutors and lawyers said.
Chin’ono was detained in July of last year before the banned anti-corruption and government protests that he supported through his Twitter account.
He was charged with inciting public violence and was released on bail a month later.
The journalist was back behind bars in November for allegedly obstructing justice after tweeting about a gold smuggling case involving political elites.
Another tweet landed Chin’ono in jail on Friday, this time for sharing a video that he claims shows a police officer beating a baby to death in the capital, Harare.
“The defendant released a false statement to members of the public,” the pretrial detention request form read, adding that he had deliberately intended to “undermine the public’s trust” in police officers.
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Chin’ono made a brief court appearance on Saturday for his bail hearing, which was postponed to Monday.
Later, one of his lawyers, Job Sikhala, was arrested as he was leaving court for sharing the same video.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights group confirmed the arrest and said Sikhala had been charged with the same crime.
His bond hearing is also scheduled for Monday.
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Chin’ono is openly critical of the Harare administration and regularly posts comments on social media about the social and economic difficulties in the southern African country.
The acclaimed documentary producer was first arrested shortly after helping uncover a multi-billion dollar corruption scandal involving coronavirus teams.
The complaint led to the dismissal of Zimbabwe’s health minister Obadiah Moyo and implicated the president’s son.
