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Mystery surrounds whereabouts Zimbabwe human rights activist

  1. Posted on Thursday 4 December 2008 - 17:20
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    Mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of Jestina Mukoko, a Zimbabwe human rights activist who was abducted by 15 unidentified at her home on Wednesday as 50 more political activists still remain in police custody.
    Alec Muchadehama, a lawyer working on Mukoko’s case said that they had looked at every police station but could not find her.
    “We have been to all police stations but we have not found her. The police are saying they did not arrest her, I think she may have been taken by other security agents but we do not know were they took her to,” said Muchadehama.
    Civil society condemned the abduction of Mukoko, a former broadcaster, and the Zimbabwe Peace Project director and demanded her immediate release.
    “We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Ms Jestina Mukoko by the state authorities in Zimbabwe and the immediate release of human rights defenders who have found themselves under the same predicament,” the civil society said in a statement.
    The organizations also called for the “cessation of systematic purges and human rights violations” by the government and its security agents on human rights defenders.
    Mukoko was abducted at gunpoint by 15 armed men driving unmarked cars at about 5am on Wednesday. Her where abouts are still unknown.
    Meanwhile Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) activists arrested countrywide where set to spend a second night in police cells.
    Lawyer Muchadehama, said only 20 ZCTU activists who had been arrested in Harare had been released. They were released on Wednesday afternoon without charge.
    “About 20 activists who were arrested in Harare were released on Wednesday without charge. These included Raymond Majongwe (Progressive Teachers Union secretary general) and many other ZCTU officials,” said Muchadehama.
    ZCTU information officer Khumbulani Ndlovu said only those arrested in Harare were released on Wednesday without charge.
    “The police are still holding the other members who were arrested in other parts of the country but have not charged them yet,” said Khumbulani.
    United States ambassador on Wednesday also called for the release of Mukoko.

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