Reporter Willing to Face Questions, Says Lawyer

Lawyers acting for the Guardian's Zimbabwe correspondent, Andrew Meldrum, insisted yesterday he was willing to be interviewed by bona fide officials following proper procedures.

Meldrum's legal team suspect immigration officials intended to deport him when they turned up in force at his home after dark on Wednesday night. They have tried to contact the immigration authorities to find out why they wanted to speak with Meldrum, an American citizen, but have so far been unable to do so.

Meldrum's lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, said: "He remains willing to answer questions to bona fide officials provided they follow proper legal procedure which requires that they state their inquiry upfront."

Alan Rusbridger, the Guardian's editor, said: "We are extremely concerned about the intentions of the Zimbabwean immigration authorities in pursuing our journalist Andrew Meldrum. We can only conclude that this is an attempt to intimidate Andrew and undermine the operation of a free press in Zimbabwe, something the international community should condemn in the strongest terms."

He has written to the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, the US ambassador, William Farish, and international press organisations urging them to intervene.

According to Ms Mtetwa, a convoy of at least three vehicles arrived at Meldrum's home at 8pm. He was not present. When the officials were asked why they were there they said Meldrum was "wanted for questioning". They refused to say what the questioning was about. The immigration officials left to get reinforcements.

Ms Mtetwa said the visit to Meldrum's home was similar to previous cases "where nighttime visits by large numbers of officers invariably led to arrest, detention and deportation".

She has written to the immigration authorities confirming Meldrum's willingness to be interviewed at the immigration offices in Harare in working hours, once he is told what the questioning is about.

The Zimbabwean authorities have been attempting to imprison and deport Meldrum for more than a year.

Last July the high court in Harare rejected a move by the government of President Robert Mugabe to have him deported. The previous week a magistrates court acquitted Meldrum of charges brought under a new press law which threatened to punish journalists writing "falsehoods".

Shortly before Meldrum's house was visited by immigration authorities on Wednesday, Zimbabwe's supreme court struck down key sections of the law under which Meldrum had been prosecuted.

Three journalists have been expelled from the country over the past two years.

Meldrum is one of the last international journalists reporting from inside Zimbabwe. He holds permanent resident status, having covered the country for the Guardian for 22 years.