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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
State
security agents hound and confiscate Maguwu's property
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
September 10, 2011
Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR) is distressed by the persecution of prominent
diamond rights researcher, Farai
Maguwu, by some unidentified State security agents, who on Saturday
10 September 2011 harassed him at the airport, confiscated his property
and prevented him from attending an international conference scheduled
for Ireland.
The State security
agents prevented Maguwu, the Director of the Centre
for Research and Development from leaving Harare International
Airport to attend the Sixth Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders
in Ireland scheduled to run from 14 to 16 September 2011, where
human rights defenders at-risk, from every corner of the world are
scheduled to gather to share experiences, learn from one another,
discuss relevant issues and engage with decision makers from governmental
and inter-governmental bodies.
The unidentified
State security agents, who conducted a body search on Maguwu, confiscated
his HP 625 laptop, power pack, wallet, Olympus digital camera, cash,
business cards, bank cards, notebooks, laptop bag and all its contents.
The State security agents also seized Maguwu's boarding passes,
his travel insurance, accommodation bookings and three notepads.
Attempts to
engage the State security agents to understand the reason for this
action were not entertained as the officials chased Maguwu from
their office at the airport. They refused to identify themselves
or explain anything to him. They then ordered the diamond rights
researcher to have his passport re-stamped for entry into Zimbabwe
after they foiled his trip to Ireland.
Maguwu's
check-in luggage which was pulled off the Kenyan Airways plane by
the airline's officials was also tampered with and Kenya Airways
officials refused to explain what had happened to his luggage.
Lawyers from
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) accompanied Maguwu to make
a report to the police and were, by Saturday evening, finalising
an urgent Chamber Application seeking to recover his impounded property
and to prevent State agents from harassing him further.
Visit the ZLHR
fact
sheet
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