Barry Bearak, Pulitzer-Winning NYT Correspondent, Taken Into Custody In Zimbabwe

Barry Bearak, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times correspondent covering the Zimbabwe elections, was arrested today in the capital city of Harare.

New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller released the following statement (via Radar):

Barry Bearak, a Times correspondent based in Johannesburg, was taken into custody today by police in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he was covering the elections. We do not know where he is being held, or what, if any, charges have been made against him.

We are making every effort to ascertain his status, to assure that he is safe and being well treated, and to secure his prompt release. Barry is an experienced and respected professional who has reported from many places. He won a Pulitzer prize in 2002 for his deeply affecting coverage of daily life in war-torn Afghanistan.

Bearak wrote today's front page story, but requested that the paper withhold his byline for security reasons. The paper later added his byline to the online version of the story, and made the following comment (via Editor & Publisher):

"We withheld Barry Bearak's name at his request as a security precaution," Diane McNulty, Times executive director of community affairs and media relations, told E&P in an e-mail. "But as more Western journalists used their bylines and as the story grew more prominent, Barry felt it was time to use his byline, which appeared in the latest editions of the newspaper."

From Friday's New York Times:

"I can confirm that we have arrested two reporters at York Lodge for practicing without accreditation," a police spokesman, Wayne Bvudzijena, told The New Zealand Times.

Bill Keller, the executive editor of The New York Times, said that Mr. Bearak "was apparently one of a number of Americans and other foreign nationals rounded up today. An American consular official who visited him at the central police station reported that he was being held for 'violation of the journalism laws.' We are making every effort to assure that he is well treated, and to secure his prompt release."

Comments

[jalowe1957]

Now imagine for a moment if this phenomenon played itself out in our own backyard?

Why do you think fascistic despots fear those who hold a mirror onto them?

Bush and Mugabe. Like two peas in a pod.

[jcutbirth]

A byline...g­oofus...is the line above the story that begins with "by" as in "By Barry Bearak."

[ladygreenslippers]

i'm looking for an update. any news? and since i missed PBS last night, and the MSM is almost useless, any news Zimbabwe elections?

[gonnuts]

One of the hallmarks of a descent into fascism is prominent journalists start getting "arrested". It doesn't make any difference if it' here, watch, you won't see bush raise a finger to help.

It's almost finished. We've lost. Soon all you spoiled, pampered, ignorant, lazy shits are going to find out what happens when you allow criminals to get away with tearing your country down.

[AdultFilmLegend]

It's shocking that the NYT still has enough money to send someone to Zimbabwe. I guess they skimp on the budget by making up the news at home.

[Ontariocentric]

This morning CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) journalist Adriene Arseneau (sp?) was also arrested in Zimbabwe and later released in time to do a nightly broadcast on the unrest that is starting to build in that country.

I think Bearak will be fine. Hopefully this is just a Mugabe fear tactic. Now that the people of his country have decided democratically that he's a big asshole, he's going apeshit and having all foreign journalists arrested.

Get home safe Barry!

[jasjohn128]

Back when America had honor, all it would take in a case like this would be a quiet phone call from State or Defense or NSC to that rat-faced shitskin Mugabe, or whoever answers the phone for him these days in that stinking shithole of a country, to send a message from his old pals in the U.S. government.

In that phone call, Mr. Mugabe would be told that he'd have approximately one or two hours to release Mr. Bearak, well-fed and in good health, or all hell would rain down on him and his friends and his family and his money, wherever they are, all around the world, and that his ass would be grass in very short order if he didn't.

A second phone call would be made to the Swiss - and let's remember, the Axis powers in World War II were Germany, Japan, Italy and Switzerland - to advise them that within that same one or two hours, if Mr. Bearak were not released, bombs would start raining down on them as well.

I won't single out the Swiss, and of course it's likely that Mugabe is laundering stolen money in other locales as well. But we know where they are and we know where their principals live, so another quiet phone call should do the trick ...

For once, let's bomb the banks and kill the money men and their families instead of innocent civilians living in countries that never did us any harm.

[Ori]

shitskin..­...

[greysilk]

The Ugly American attitude is why the world hates the USA.

Toronto

[jasjohn128]

Fan of Mugabe, greysilk?

[Jer1957]

God shave the Queen.

A British Intelligence operative, under American media cover, is arrested!

You would think Zimbabwe was a sovereign country to do such an outlandish sovereign thing to a spy!

Where did the Zimbabweans get the idea they were actually independent and sovereign? Probably, from the US Declaration of Independen­ce...

The Brits favor democracy so long as the locals vote the way their colonial masters instruct them to.

Beware of British Lords and Ladies preaching 'democracy­.' and US media outlets, or politicians, that support them.

Has Speaker Pelosi defected to Tibet, yet, to show her allegiance to British finance's war agenda against China?

[Caolas]

If you sympathize with the people of Zimbabwe, you might ask yourself why a quarter of the population has fled to South Africa due to the terrible Zimbabwe economy; you might ask yourself how an "Elected" official who presides over 100,000% inflation could garner 40-some percent of the vote, let alone get re-"Elected"; you might ask yourself why, having been able to announce most results for Parliament, the ruling Zimbabwe Government has provided ZERO results in the Presidential election that we are five days (and counting) removed from.

In the name of Democracy; defense of an "Elected" dictator, who has replaced the rule of a hereditary Monarch, is no Good defense at all.

[snarkopolitan]

Jer1957's profile reveals him/her to be a Lyndon Larouche fan. Google Larouche. Enough said.

[brick4barack]

Barry Bearak is one of the Times' star reporters and most recognizable bylines, so it's a major, major blow against journalism to see a reporter of his stature hassled and detained by a despotic regime. Here's expressing hopes that Bearak and the other (so far, unidentified) journalists who were rounded up with him are released immediately. I'm amazed at the courageousness of reporters who put themselves in trouble spots around the world so they can tell us what's happening there, and I'm even more amazed at the stupidity of tyrants like Robert Mugabe who give them a story to tell.

[msfiskvletterman]

4/3/08
10:18pm
Alexandria, VA

Is there some place where we can complain to the government, sign a petition, or something?

[snarkopolitan]

It's shocking but not surprising that a radio personality calling Clinton a bad word garnered over 2,000 comments, while so few people are troubling themselves over Mugabe's atrocities. Probably that was what the poster who wrote "nobody cares" meant.
We have to thank journalists like Mr. Bearak, real journalists, for risking their lives to bring us the story. He puts the 24/7 spin recyclists to shame.
If you know if there is some way for us to put our bit of pressure on Mugabe, please post it.
Our best to Mr. Bearak's friends and family.

[finethnx]

This story doesn't add to ratings or the bottom line. Pseudo-journalists aren't interested in real news, just in their own fame. Hopefully, something can be done to secure Bearak's freedom and safety.

[indie17]

What is the government doing about this? Who is working to negotiate his release?

[divineorder]

We rode a train in 2000 with several carloads of police in wool uniforms and hats which made us think of world war II movies, and none of them looked happy. Some did smile and look greatful we were there, all three of us white US citizens, they all black Zimbabweans, as we walked innocently, though in shock, through to cars to try to find the drinks trolley as they call it.

You can be very sure that I do care about what is happening there after that experience and the rest of our trip to that wonderful country.

[scoobynooby]

Hmmm hope this isn't what isn't rendition abduction. Perfect country for it. Prayers for him and his family.

[5150]

NYT reports Abbas as winner.