World News Story

09 January 2009 00:12 BST

Amnesty demands release of Zimbabwean activist

Amnesty International has called on the Zimbabwe government to immediately release a leading human rights activist who was abducted from her home by feared state security agents yesterday morning.

In a statement from London, Amnesty International blamed Jestina Mukoko's disappearance on president Robert Mugabe's government, saying the "abduction is part of a well-established pattern of harassment of human rights defenders by Zimbabweans authorities".

Ms Mukoko, who is the head of Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), a human rights organisation, was abducted early yesterday from her Norton home, several miles outside the capital Harare, by unidentified men believed to be state security agents.

"The abduction or arrest of Mukoko is part of an established pattern of harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders by Zimbabwean authorities in an attempt to discourage them from documenting and publicizing the violations taking place," Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty's Africa programme director said in a statement.

Amnesty's Africa programme director added: "We hold the Zimbabwean authorities responsible for anything that may happen to Jestina Mukoko.

"She should be released immediately and while in detention, the authorities should guarantee her safety and ensure that she has access to a lawyer and family, as well as food, warm clothes and medication."

ZPP drew the ire of the government in June after documenting acts of repression, abductions and harassment of opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters and human rights activists prior to the June 27th presidential runoff that Mr Mugabe contested against himself.

Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, who accused Mr Mugabe of trying to rig the polls through a campaign of violence, was forced to pull out of the election citing violence and intimidation that left over 150 MDC supporters dead and left tens of thousands displaced.

President Mugabe's government is accused by human rights activists and analysts of resorting to intimidation, harassment and abductions to suppress dissent over the humanitarian and economic crisis besetting the south African country.

Yesterday, heavily armed police cracked down on defenceless Zimbabweans expressing their disquiet over failure to access their cash from the banks.

Over 70 people were arrested after authorities argued that the protests were illegal as they had not been sanctioned by the police under the country's tough laws.