A Zambian judge today granted bail to The Post editor Fred M’membe and Post journalist Mukosha Funga, local sources have informed the International Press Institute (IPI).
M’membe and Funga are now scheduled to appear again in court for an initial hearing on August 17, according to Ernest Chanda, executive secretary of the Press Freedom Committee of The Post Newspapers. Chanda indicated that the office of Zambia’s Director of Public Prosecution had reportedly yet to determine whether to proceed with the case.
Zambian police arrested M’membe, editor-in-chief of The Post, and Funga, a Post reporter, yesterday on charges of publishing classified information in violation of the State Security Act. In Zambia, the offence carries a minimum sentence of 15 years behind bars.
Zambian media reported that bail was set at 30,000 Zambian kwacha each (approx. €4,400).
IPI Director of Press Freedom Programmes Scott Griffen said: “We welcome the decision to grant bail to IPI World Press Freedom Hero Fred M’membe and Mukosha Funga, but we reiterate our demand for these spurious charges to be dropped immediately.”
Read related post “Zambian journalists arrested under state secrecy law” (July 16, 2015).