More Zimbabwe journalists arrested

HARARE, Zimbabwe, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- The publisher and a reporter of Zimbabwe's weekly newspaper, The Independent, have been arrested in Harare.

The publisher of The Independent, Raphael Khumalo and reporter Itai Dzamera were charged by police with criminal defamation, the Voice of America reported.

The charges are the same as those made against the editor, news editor, and another reporter at the same newspaper on Monday.

The newspaper carried a report last Friday that said President Robert Mugabe had commandeered an aircraft from the national carrier earlier this month during his annual holiday with his family in Asia.

The government described the report as "blasphemous." The Independent said it stood by the accuracy of its report.

Linda Cook, an attorney for the defendants, said Khumalo had nothing to do with preparing the report and should be released immediately.