On 10 October 2011, human rights defender Mr Farai Maguwu was detained by Zimbabwean officials at Harare International Airport. While detained Maguwu was subjected to questioning regarding his trip and his organisation's human rights activities, and his luggage was searched.

Further Information

After being released Maguwu received numerous anonymous phone calls which were terminated each time he attempted to answer. Farai Maguwu is the director of the Mutare Centre for Research and Development (CRD), an organisation which carries out research and advocacy in the area of human rights, particularly with respect to diamond mining, and has campaigned strongly against alleged military human rights abuses and illegal mining operations in Zimbabwe.

On 10 October 2011, at approximately 2 pm, Farai Maguwu observed an unknown man looking at him suspiciously while he was waiting to pass from the immigration queue to the arrivals hall. At the immigration desk, the officer told Farai Maguwu that she was having difficulties scanning his passport, and she signalled the man who the human rights defender had seen observing him, and who is believed to belong to the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). Although the official waved Farai Maguwu through, more suspected CIO officials began to arrive into the arrivals hall.

After collecting his luggage, which had already been unloaded from the carousel, Farai Maguwu was stopped and asked to produce his passport by three plain clothes police officers. A fourth man then arrived and asked Farai Maguwu to follow him to a room in which six men had gathered, several of whom identified themselves as officials of the Criminal Investigation Department. The security officials searched Farai Maguwu's luggage and questioned him about his trip and the activities of CRD, before releasing him. On his way from the airport to Mutare, the human rights defender began to receive anonymous calls which were terminated each time he attempted to answer. The calls continued throughout the night until the following morning.

This is not the first time Farai Maguwu has been harassed by state security agents in relation to his freedom of movement. On 10 September 2011, he was similarly harassed and had his property seized by officials when attempting to leave Harare International Airport. These actions prompted the issuance of a High Court Order requiring state authorities to “desist and stop from interfering with the Applicant's freedom of movement, association, right to property and protection of the law.” The actions of the officials at Harare International Airport on 10 October and the continued refusal to return the property confiscated on 10 September appear to be in contempt of this court order.

Front Line believes that the police harassment and intimidation of Farai Maguwu are directly related to his legitimate work in the defence of human rights, particularly his advocacy in the area of diamond mining and his role in drawing international attention to alleged military human rights abuses.