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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Marange, Chiadzwa and other diamond fields and the Kimberley Process - Index of articles
ZINASU President statement on the continued detention of Rights
activist, Farai Maguwu
Zimbabwe
National Students Union (ZINASU)
(Mugwadi)
June 22, 2010
The Zimbabwe
National Students Union (ZINASU) condemns in the strongest of terms,
the continued ruthless and brutal detention and incarceration of
former ZINASU general councilor and prominent human rights activist
now, Executive Director of the Centre
for Research and Development (CDR) Farai Maguwu at the hands
of merciless human rights violators.
A known diamonds activist,
Maguwu who is accused of passing false information on diamond-mining
violations to the international diamond control body, the Kimberly
Process (KP) was arrested on June 3, on trumped up charges of possessing
false information on killings, torture and the names of perpetrators
along with stolen state security documents.
ZINASU understands
that Maguwu is a victim of, state sponsored conspiracy against him
in an effort to thwart the splendid work he has been doing, aimed
at bringing sanity in the Chiadzwa
Diamond area as there are some state politicians who are implemented
in serious scandals involving corruption.
ZINASU warns
that Farai's case is part of a well calculated attempt by state
agents to silence selfless rights activists and civil society leaders
from pushing for legitimate demands for accountability and transparency
in the crisis ridden diamond area. Taking place at a time when the
government is engaging in a flawed constitution making process,
the persecution of Farai Maguwu poses frightening questions. How
can reconciliation and freedom be guaranteed in an atmosphere in
which citizens continue to be robbed of their freedoms by the very
state institutions that should be protecting them?
ZINASU also take this
opportunity to warn other rights activists against continued silence
over the issue because this is typical of the unfortunate horror
that fell fellow activist Jestina Mukoko and her companions in late
2008. The police unit depriving Maguwu of his right to medical attention
is notorious for torturing and effecting the disappearance of thousands
of pro-democracy activists, including the 2008 heinous torture of
civic leader Jestina Mukoko.
Finally ZINASU demands
the immediate release of Maguwu and calls upon all pro-democracy
Zimbabweans to insist on the same and to pressure the Zimbabwe government
to refrain from the culture of torturing accused persons.
Visit the ZINASU
fact
sheet
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