Amnesty International today called on the Zimbabwean government to release an activist who is being detained after he exposed human rights violations in the country’s Marange diamond fields.
Farai Maguwu has been detained since June 3, and charged with “publishing or communicating false information prejudicial to the state”, after he reportedly told a diamond trade monitor about human rights violations carried out by security forces in the Marange diamond fields.
The activist had handed himself in to the police after members of his family were beaten and interrogated by state officials.
On Friday, a Harare Magistrate denied Farai Maguwu bail after the state prosecutor said more time was needed to complete investigations. Lawyers are appealing the court’s decision to deny him bail.
Read the News Release
Zimbabwe diamond fields activist must be released
7 July 2010 10:53 am
Posted by: Lindsay Mossman
