A reporter for London's Daily Telegraph newspaper and the Voice of America remains in prison in Zimbabwe although she apparently no longer faces charges of threatening public safety. The attorney for 57-year-old Peta Thornycroft tells the Daily Telegraph that Zimbabwean officials have abandoned their original plans to charge her with inciting violence and spreading false information. 

The lawyer, Tapiwanashe Kujingu, says authorities will instead charge Ms. Thornycroft with not licensing her South African-registered vehicle in Zimbabwe, for which she could be fined. Ms. Thornycroft also faces charges for failing to seek reporter accreditation under a media law that went into effect last month. The British-born Zimbabwean reporter was arrested Wednesday in the eastern town of Chimanimani as she was preparing to report on allegations of government-sponsored violence against opposition activists. She was then brought to the regional capital, Mutare, to face charges. 

The Daily Telegraph, Ms. Thornycroft's primary employer, has denounced the arrest and said the charges are without foundation. The Voice of America issued a similar statement Thursday. Press freedom groups have also called for Ms. Thornycroft's immediate release. 

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