Sunday, January 18, 2009

Amnesty International report on events in Zimbabwe

I am continuing to monitor the internet with regard to Jestina Mukoko and her co-workers at the Zimbabwe Peace Project. The latest i can find is from 4 days ago on the Amnesty site:

"Zimbabwean human rights activist Jestina Mukoko was abducted from her home by armed state security agents, at around 5am on 3 December 2008. Her whereabouts were unknown until 23 December. She has now spent over a month in detention. Ms Mukoko, the director of human rights organization the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), appeared in a Harare court on Wednesday after having been tortured. She is yet to be charged. Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Jestina Mukoko, along with two other ZPP members Broderick Takawira and Pascal Gonzo. All three are considered prisoners of conscience.

Following her abduction, Ms Mukoko was held and interrogated at various unidentified detention facilities. Every time she was moved from one facility to another, she was blindfolded. Throughout her detention, she was in solitary confinement. During interrogations, she was forced to place her feet on the table and was beaten on the soles of her feet with a rubber object. At other times, the interrogators spread gravel on the floor, on which she was forced to kneel while the interrogation continued. Throughout her torture, Ms Mukoko vehemently denied interrogators’ allegations that she and others were involved in the recruitment of youths to undergo military training to take up arms against the state.

Jestina Mukoko and seven other detainees are being held at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison in Harare.

Please express your solidarity with Jestina and the other detainees by sending cards and letters to them at the following address:
Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison
Chikurubi Prison Complex,
Private Bag 7392 Greendale,
Harare,
Zimbabwe"

Have just written my letter, and will go to the post office when a path has been cleared through the snow!

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