Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government on Thursday dismissed a resolution by the World Association of Newspapers (Wan) condemning press violations in Zimbabwe and calling for an end to the arrests and detentions of reporters. "This is a bogus resolution by a bogus organisation," Mugabe spokesperson George Charamba said in comments carried by the official Herald newspaper. "We give absolutely no regard to that report and dismiss it with the contempt it deserves," said Charamba, who is also the permanent secretary in the Information Ministry.The Wan board this week accused Mugabe's government of violating journalists' rights by detaining them, assaulting them and stripping them of licences required to work. The Wan board called on Mugabe to put an end to the arbitrary and violent arrest and detention of journalists, and to firmly commit to uphold international standards of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, part of the statement read.
Paris-based Wan represents 18,000 publications across five continents. The call comes barely a month after the International Press Institute noted that Zimbabwe is probably the most difficult place in the world to work as a journalist.