filing of charges and said Bearak was being held on charges "that even the government's own lawyers recognize as baseless." As to the charge that Bearak had misrepresented himself as an accredited journalist, Keller called it a "ludicrous assertion." In response to the detention of Bearak and other journalists who were arrested with him, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement calling on Zimbabwean authorities to "stop intimidating all journalists" and saying, "It is imperative that all journalists, foreign and domestic, be allowed to freely cover the important political situation unfolding in Zimbabwe." In addition, the International Press Institute, the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, called on Zimbabwean authorities to immediately release Barry Bearak. IPI Director David Dadge issued the following statement: The regulatory structures imposed by the Zimbabwean government have long served primarily to silence journalists, both local and foreign, but are particularly problematic during this vital election period. We call on Zimbabwean authorities to promptly release Mr. Bearak, and to stop relying on arbitrary accreditation requirements to prevent independent commentary on the elections. On April 7, 2008, after spending four nights in a detention cell in Harare, Bearak was released on bail of Z$300 million (US$10,000 at official exchange rates; less than US$10 at black market rates) by a Zimbabwean court. He was told to reappear in court on Thursday and ordered to stay in Harare. On April 16, 2008, a Zimbabwean court dismissed the charges against Bearak. A magistrate in a court in Harare ruled that the state had failed to provide evidence of any crime, and ordered that Bearak and British journalist Stephen Bevan be released. Upon the dismissal of the charges against Bearak, The New York Times'' executive editor Bill Keller thanked "many people — in particular some brave and honorable Zimbabweans — who stood by Barry" and also mentioned "officials and former officials, civic leaders and journalists' organizations in many countries" who offered support publicly and behind the scenes. References American newspaper reporters and correspondents Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting winners American journalism academics Columbia University faculty University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni Knox College (Illinois) alumni Writers from Chicago 1949 births Living people The New York Times writers University of Michigan fellows