Zimbabwean “dirty tricks” operators hacked into an online webinar on free expression on Wednesday afternoon to disrupt it with pornographic pictures.

Over 400 (?) people were participating in the webinar on Wednesday afternoon for the launch of a report from the Campaign for Free Expression titled “Open for Business, Closed for Criticism: The State of Free Expression in Zimbabwe”.

In the last few minutes of the webinar, the discussion was disrupted by flashes of pornographic pictures from an anonymous account before it was blocked.

“How ironic that just as we are complaining about state interference in people’s right to express themselves, there should be a such an ugly attempt to pollute the discussion. This fits with what the report points to: the Zimbabwean state and its agencies increasingly reaching down into everyday lives and activities to try to prevent discussions, meetings, organisations, protests or media that is even mildly critical of the situation there,” Anton Harber, CFE Executive Director, said.

“We apologise for this unpleasant interruption, but we will continue to speak out and to fight to protect human rights in this region, despite the dirty tricks,” he said.