Zambia court blocks deportation of British writer
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Clarke, shown in December 2003, has been in hiding since the Zambian government announced its intention to deport him.
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LUSAKA, Zambia (Reuters) -- A Zambian court has blocked a deportation order against a British writer accused of insulting President Levy Mwanawasa and calling two of his ministers "baboons," a defence lawyer said on Tuesday.
Roy Clarke, a satirical writer for the privately owned Post daily, has gone into hiding since the government said on Monday he would be deported within 24 hours.
Post lawyer Patrick Matibini told Reuters that High Court judge Philip Musonda had issued an injunction on Monday night against the deportation of Clarke, who has lived in Zambia for more than 40 years and is married to a local woman.
"The judge has granted leave to stay the intended deportation," Matibini said. The court had set a hearing for Thursday when the state and the defense would debate the legality of the deportation, he added.
But Matibini said he feared his client could still be deported, despite the court's intervention. "The rule of law is not always observed by the government," he said.
Home affairs permanent secretary Peter Mumba confirmed the state had been served with the injunction and said the attorney-general was studying it.
Earlier, he vowed authorities would hunt down and deport Clarke, telling reporters: "We will fish him out even if he is hiding in a spider-hole and he will be deported."
Clarke, who writes a column known as "The Spectator," referred last Thursday to Mwanawasa as a "foolish elephant" and to two of his ministers as "baboons" when Mwanawasa visited a game park for his Christmas holiday.
The Briton has regularly annoyed authorities with his satirical column, which portrays government leaders as living lavishly in the impoverished southern African country of 10 million people.
The Post backed him in an editorial on Tuesday, describing the deportation order as a "destruction of press freedom."
"Let's not be misled by these narrow-minded petty politicians into believing Roy is a racist who should be deported," it said. "We need to stand up in defence of Roy and in defence of press freedom."
Copyright 2004
Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
