Firebrand journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has revealed plans to sue the state for unlawful arrest.
This comes after High Court judge, Esther Charehwa, Wednesday terminated criminal charges in which he was being accused of publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the state.
Chin’ono, represented by lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, had lodged an appeal arguing that the law he was being charged under no longer existed.
He was being charged under Section 31 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) which was struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2014 in the case of Chimakure and others versus the Attorney General.
In a post on his official twitter, Chin’ono said he had directed his legal team to sue the state over the matter.
“I have just finished a meeting with my lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, who got my court case quashed in the High Court because I was charged under a law that doesn’t exist.
“I have instructed him to sue the State for unlawful detention, wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution.”
The criminal charges arose earlier this year in January when Chin’ono allegedly shared a video on twitter claiming a Harare police operative had struck a baby dead with a baton stick while strapped on its mother’s back at the Bindura terminus in Harare’s avenues area.
The journalist spent nearly three weeks in pre-trial detention.
Chin’ono was arrested together with MDC Alliance vice chairperson, Job Sikhala and pparty spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere facing the same charge.
The scribe however still has two pending criminal offences.