Courageous and humanist reporting from Jonathan Cayton, as usual. But did McKenna's deep-relaxation techniques work?

Nicholas Pond-Hubert, Aix-en-Provence, France

This story is a stark reminder of all the dangers and difficulties that reporters face when asked to report on such stories such as the elections in Zimbabwe. Our thanks, as readers, got to Mr Clayton who braved this ordeal and to the newspaper for having such excellent and committed reporters.

Marina Marangos , Geneva , Swtzerland

This is just a stark reminder of the danger and pitfalls faced by correspondents when they have such difficult assignments such as reporting on the elections in Zimbabwe. My heart goes out to Mr Clayton who had the bravery to stay calm and collected throughout and then share his ordeal with us all.

Marina Marangos , Geneva , Swtzerland

Jonathan Clayton is a very brave correspondent and this is just the latest ordeal in a long career covering hotspots from Congo to Rwanda, Liberia to Somalia. It is typical of Clayton to reserve his greatest sympathy for the ordinary, poor Zimbabweans who were left suffering in the cells after he was deported. I'm proud to be a friend of his.

Aidan Hartley, Nairobi,

I have no sympathy what-so-ever. If you are a reporter and you are caught entering Zimbabwe, you can expect nothing less. Only a foul would think otherwise.
However, I also think the whole damned miserable country should be re-colonised, as the blacks clearly cannot run it them selves.

James Bradley, Southampton,

This is truly brave reporting. Thank you for telling the world about this horrible ordeal.

Matthew Flaschen, Atlanta, GA

Assault, brutalization, torture and rape are not new to Mugabe or ZANU-PF. They are the stock in trade that won the first election for Mugabe, though Lord Somes turned a blind eye and vindicated them for it by handing over power. Within 5 years over 30,000 Matabele had been murdered by the 5th Brigade. Since 1998 the way Mugabe has stayed in power is through force and rigged elections with the blessing of the SADC and Mbeki and the ANC in South Africa. Since no human rights boundaries have ever been honoured by Mugabe it should not surprise the world community that with his back to the wall, he and the ZANU-PF "Elite" who have systematically raped and pillaged the people economically will now protect their priviledge through violence and intimidation. They justify this as a continuation of the "revolution" but in reality it is them that are revolting in the eyes of any thinking person.

Malcolm, Vancouver, Canada

Having lived in Zimbabwe for 32 years, I can tell you that your reporter was very lucky.

The CIO operatives who gave him 'a bit of a slap' were actually fully aware of his status. His bravery and controll of fear stopped him 'agreeing to anything'.
His statement would then be made into some kind of international incident. Fortunately the CIO are not as ruthless as their North Korean, Libiyan, Chinese or various other counterparts who have assisted in their training from time to time.
The guy was lucky, many Zimbabweans are beaten with poles, iron bars (they dont bother with rubber hoses now).
They are connected to electric magnetos which give them thousands of volts - often to private parts.
And many are quietly killed by these same CIO thugs.

The polls have to be rigged by ZANU PF as there is so much guilt from Mugabe down about what ZANU PF have done to their own people. Mugabe will win the re count, the rest of the world will tut tut and do little or nothing.

Alsoscaredofhim, Derby, UK

Damn! If only that country had oil and then we could do something. It's such a shame. Just a little oil! Or maybe a gas pipeline. Anything to get the Americans interested.

iain carstairs, bedford, uk

I sympathise with this reporter, what he said is true, 100%. let me tell you what is happening in zimbabwe, since 1980, the porter at the airport, the taxi driver who takes you to the hotel where you are pre booked, the hotel attendant, who comes in the morning to change your sheets, the receptionists, whom you ask for a long distance call to your mates back home- because yr mobile does not have a signal for roaming services, the lonely poor person who you decide to strike a conversation with , asking about the prsent situation in that country, thinking about letting your hair down, you go to a hotel and go to the local hotel get drunk and on yr way to the hotel try using the public loo, in the process you let rip about how the local situation is! someone in attendance wearing a council uniform, a cleaner is listening, I wasa cop, in zim, I resigned,99 all these pple r CIO Mugabe made sure he was everywhere everyday. It seems easy for pple to ask why zim pple cant take a stand?

azeti azeti, luton, uk