Mtisi Gift, of Zimbabwe’s human rights lawyers, said he is being accused of “trafficking falsehoods”, adding that they are waiting for the full list of charges.
“It’s still detailed and is likely to appear in court on Saturday after spending the night in police custody,” Gift told CNN.
Earlier Friday, Chin’ono posted on his Twitter account that police had arrested him at home and wrote that he was accused of “reporting falsehoods.”
Chin’ono was released on bail in September 2020, after more than a month in prison, several court appearances where he was accused of inciting violence in July before an planned anti-government protest, a charge that his lawyers winter.
As part of his strict bail conditions, Chin’ono was banned from social media and not allowed to leave the capital Harare.
The second arrest took place in November of the same year, where he was arrested for obstruction of justice, in addition to degrading the National Authority of the Prosecutor’s Office.
The journalist last year investigated allegations of corruption related to the acquisition of Covid-19 supplies by the health ministry, according to Amnesty International, which accused the Zimbabwean government of using security forces. State to silence critics.
Zimbabwean doctors routinely complain about inadequate protective equipment in their fight against Covid-19 as cases increase and the country fights a new wave of infections.
After the Christmas holidays, Zimbabwe saw an increase in Covid-19 infections and deaths, fueling fears of an already fragile healthcare system.
The government has urged citizens to adhere to the blockade, which includes movement restrictions on all services except the most essential ones.
The reopening of schools has been postponed indefinitely, following a Covid-19 outbreak in schools last quarter, while stores will only open until three in the afternoon daily.
There is also a curfew at dawn to avoid meetings and nightly events.