(Adds police comment)
HARARE, April 7 (Reuters) - A New York Times correspondent detained in Zimbabwe has injured his back in a fall in his cell and needs medical treatment, his lawyer said on Monday after the reporter was granted bail.
Barry Bearak and a British reporter were given bail of 300 million Zimbabwean dollars ($7.50) after being charged with covering Zimbabwe's March 29 election without official accreditation.
Lawyer Harrison Nkomo said the Briton had been ordered to stay at the British embassy while Bearak had to remain at the Dandaro Clinic. "He fell in the cells and sustained serious injuries," Nkomo said.
The New York Times said in a report on its Web site that Bearak suffered some injuries as a result of falling from the concrete bunk in his cell to the concrete floor, 7 feet (2 metres) below.
Nkomo made no suggestion that any foul play was involved.
Both journalists were not immediately reachable for comment.
Police arrested the journalists at their hotel on Thursday night. Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said he was not aware that either of the journalists had fallen in the cells or been injured.
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington "We know of nothing, at this point, that substantiates the story of mistreatment".
Zimbabwe's government was criticised in the media for refusing to grant accreditation to many foreign journalists ahead of the election last month, and security forces have been accused of harassing foreign news crews in the past week.
Two South African technicians working for a satellite TV service company have also been arrested by Zimbabwean police.
The South African National Editors' Forum said on Monday it was "deeply alarmed" at the arrests.
"SANEF calls for the immediate release of the four men and any other journalists or media personnel arrested by the Zimbabwe authorities while carrying out their duties in Zimbabwe and holds the Zimbabwe authorities responsible for any harm that they may suffer," the group said in a statement. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
