Migration Jurisprudence from the South › Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and IHRDA (on behalf of Andrew Meldrum) v. Zimbabwe
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights · Zimbabwe · 2009-04 · Regional court or body
Citation: Communication 294/04
Type of case: Constitutional and human rights
Outcome: Decided for the migrant side
Question
Could Zimbabwe expel a foreign journalist in defiance of its own courts’ orders?
What the court decided
No. The expulsion, carried out despite court orders, breached his rights to a hearing and to free expression.
In plain language
A US journalist who had lived and worked in Zimbabwe for over 20 years was deported even though courts had ordered that he could stay. The African Commission found a breach.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Seorang wartawan AS yang tinggal dan bekerja di Zimbabwe lebih dari 20 tahun dideportasi padahal pengadilan sudah memerintahkan ia boleh tinggal. Komisi Afrika menemukan pelanggaran.
Pertanyaan: Bisakah Zimbabwe mengusir wartawan asing dengan mengabaikan perintah pengadilannya sendiri?
What happened afterwards
- 2003-05: Deportation.
- 2009-04: Decision adopted.
Sources
Open this decision in the interactive collection (compare, filter, Indonesian view, downloads).
Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/achpr-meldrum-2009/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.