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Police release Chikomo after six-hour detention
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
February 09, 2011

Police on Wednesday 9 February 2011 released without charge Abel Chikomo, the executive director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Human Rights Forum) after six hours of interrogation.

Chikomo was detained for approximately six hours first at Machipisa Police Station before being handed transferred to Harare Central Police Station after surrendering himself to the police, who had summoned him to "explain" his organisation's involvement in a research project on transitional justice in Zimbabwe.

During his six hour detention, police detectives led by Detective Inspector Mukwaira, Detective Inspector Ndawana, Detective Assistant Inspector Mirimbo and Assistant Inspector Sikuni interrogated him over his organisation's research project on transitional justice in Zimbabwe.

Police had earlier on Tuesday quizzed the Human Rights Forum's researchers Dzikamai Bere, a field officer and Dorothy Mudavanhu, a supervisor, who were administering a questionnaire on the research project in Highfield suburb. The police later freed the researchers and summoned them to return to Machipisa Police Station on Wednesday 9 February in the company of Chikomo.

During the interrogation, the police quizzed Chikomo on issues to do with the registration and location of the Human Rights Forum's offices, the work of the organisation and tried to link the organisation to political activity.

The police also sought some answers on the identity of organisations that support the Human Rights Forum and why the organisation's research questionnaire contained questions about elections.

The police officers also visited the Human Rights Forum's offices where they were given a copy of the organisation's constitution.

Chikomo, Bere and Mudavanhu were released without charge and the police indicated that if need be they would follow up on them by contacting them on their phones.

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