Thanks Adam! Julian Simmonds (Sunday Telegraph photographer) and I were acquitted of "practicing journalism without accreditation" and overstaying our visas. We were prosecuted under an outrageous law - the notorious Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA)- that makes it an offence to practice journalism without being approved by the state (and, of course, most western journalists do not get this approval). Luckily, the skill of our defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa was matched only by the incompetence of the prosecution. The police didn't take even basic steps to try to prove what they were alleging. Luckily, dictatorships are often stupid as well as evil. Full details of what happened to us will be posted on my website www.tobyharnden.com soon for anyone who is interested. A postscript: have just been denied a visa to Iran to cover their presidential elections.
Toby Harnden | Homepage | 06.13.05 - 6:50 am | #