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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
Calls
for charges against diamond researcher to be dropped
Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa
July 14, 2010
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news140710/calls140710.htm
There are growing
calls this week for all the charges against diamond researcher Farai
Maguwu to be dropped, after he was awarded bail on Monday.
Harare High
Court Judge Mawadze Gurainesu on Monday dismissed claims made by
state prosecutors that Maguwu would interfere with witnesses if
he was released. The state had argued last week that the rights
activist should remain detained until investigations into his alleged
crime were completed. Judge Gurainesu said Maguwu should pay US$1,500
to the clerk of court and ordered him not to travel beyond a 40-kilometre
radius of his Mutare home. Maguwu was also ordered not to communicate
in any form with the people involved in the case, who the state
wants to question.
Maguwu, who
heads the Mutare based Centre
for Research and Development (CRD), is facing charges of communicating
so-called 'falsehoods' deemed prejudicial to the state and if found
guilty faces up to 20 years behind bars. No date for his trial has
yet been set, but human rights groups and diamond industry officials
are calling for the charges to be dropped.
Campaign group
Global Witness said it was "relieved" that Maguwu had
finally been granted bail. The group added it was "extremely
dismayed that the spurious charges against him are yet to be dropped."
"The systematic
intimidation and harassment of civil society activists in Zimbabwe,
exemplified by Farai's arrest, must end," the group said in
a statement.
At the same
time Eli Izhakoff, the President of the World Diamond Council, said
in a statement that he welcomes Maguwu's release, saying it sets
a positive tone for this week's meeting of diamond industry experts.
The meeting, taking place in Russia this week, is set to debate
Zimbabwe's trade future in the international diamond industry.
"We are
relieved that Mr. Maguwu has been released from detention and is
able to rejoin his family," Izhakoff said. "This is a
positive development, but only a first step. We sincerely hope that
the charges that had been levelled against Mr. Maguwu will be dropped
as well."
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