Dates set for trial of scribes

A Zimbawean magistrate set on Thursday trial dates next month for a US and local journalist charged with publishing ‘‘falsehoods&#...

A Zimbawean magistrate set on Thursday trial dates next month for a US and local journalist charged with publishing ‘‘falsehoods’’ under President Robert Mugabe’s tough new media law.

Andrew Meldrum, a correspondent for Britain’s ,Guardian newspaper, and Lloyd Mudiwa, a reporter for Zimbabwe’s independent Daily News, were charged after publishing a story that alleged Mugabe supporters had beheaded a woman.

The Daily News later said it had doubts about the alleged murder after failing to locate the woman’s grave. The paper apologised to Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. Meldrum, a US national, will stand trial on June 12, while Mudiwa will go to court on June 20, Magistrate Joyce Negonde told a Harare court.

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Meldrum and Mudiwa — among 11 journalists to be arrested since Mugabe’s controversial re-election in March — attended Thursday’s hearing, but declined to comment to reporters outside the court.

‘‘We are happy the state has finally set a date and we hope we can prove our case that the state is being vindictive with these prosecutions,’’ said their lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa.

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