EU to address abductions in Zimbabwe

  1. Posted on Sunday 7 December 2008 - 14:35
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    Conrad Dube Mwanawashe, AfricaNews reporter in Harare, Zimbabwe
    European Union foreign ministers are expected to deliberate on the increasing number of abductions of human rights activists in Zimbabwe, a top diplomat has said.
    COA_Zimbabwe
    The diplomat who could not be named said that the Netherlands Embassy was expected to raise the issue when the foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday. He was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference called by Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) for an update on the abduction ZPP director Jestina Mukoko who was abducted on Wednesday last week.

    “We have brought the matter to the attention of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and we want to raise the matter at the meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels which is starting on Monday,” he said.

    “We are very concerned with the situation and we want this lady to be found,” he added.
    ZPP chairperson Alois Chaumba said that the whereabouts of Mukoko where still unknown, five days after her abduction.

    “Five days have passed since the abduction of Jestina Mukoko and we are gravely concerned that Jestina’s location is still a mystery to all and this means she is highly vulnerable and prone to torture. Jestina’s abduction has denied her justice and recourse before the law as abduction itself is done outside the law. Jestina has not been awarder a chance to have a lawyer or medical attention due to secrecy of her current location,” said Chaumba.

    “The constitution of Zimbabwe abhors the deprivation of liberty and freedom on the bill of rights. Zimbabwe is also part to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights,” said Chaumba.

    Chaumba said that ZPP had held meetings with the South African and Tanzanian embassies whose governments are the current chairpersons of SADC and the African Union respectively to press on the release of Mukoko.

    “We had a meeting with the South African Embassy as the chairperson of SADC and we have also had contact with the Chair of the African Union who have promised to help us in our efforts to locate Jestina,” said Chaumba.

    Meanwhile an urgent court application for the release of Mukoko is expected to be heard on Monday. Three judges last week declined to hear Mukoko’s case because it was “too hot” to handle.

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