Lusaka  - A leading Zambian journalist was hauled before court Tuesday for circulating photographs of a woman giving birth in a hospital car park during a medical workers' strike.

Chansa Kabwela, news editor at the private The Post newspapers, was arrested Monday and charged with circulating obscene material for distributing the photographs of the woman giving birth outside Lusaka's University Teaching Hospital. Kabwela pleaded not guilty.

Doctors and nurses at public hospitals in the southern African country were on strike for the entire month of June over pay.

The pregnant woman was turned away from the hospital, despite being in labour and urgently requiring medical attention because the baby was breached. Bystanders tried to assist her but the baby was dead on delivery.

Kabwela told police the pictures were taken by the woman's husband, who was incensed at seeing his wife refused attention at the country's largest referral hospital.

The Post did not publish the photographs but sent a letter, enclosing the photographs to Vice-President, with a copy to non- governmental organizations.

The Zambian chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa accused government of violating press freedoms for charging Kabwela and called for clearer laws on what constitutes "obscene material."

Kabwela's trial has been set down for August 5.

Since his election in October last year, President Rupiah Banda has been engaged in a war of words with The Post.

Banda accuses the newspaper group of plotting with opposition political parties to remove him from power by writing what he calls false reports about his government's performance.(dpa)