Jestina Mukoko was abducted from her home at 5am on the 3rd of December 2008 by 15 armed men. She was taken away wearing just her nightdress. Her teenage son, who witnessed the abduction, raised the alarm. Jestina is still missing today and there is growing concern for her safety and well-being. Frantic efforts by lawyers and civil society have yielded no information on Jestina’s whereabouts.
It is believed that state agents are behind the abduction of Jestina Mukoko as well as the recent abductions of several other political and human rights activists in Zimbabwe.
Jestina’s abduction is the most high profile abduction to date because of her prominent role as a leading human rights activist. Fifteen people, who are less well known to the world but very important to all Zimbabweans, were abducted at the end of October and all of them are still missing. The extreme callousness of the regime is clearly revealed by the fact that a two year old child was abducted along with its parents. No one has been brought to court. These fifteen people have been missing for over 36 days now.
Let’s send a clear message that these sort of horrific activities carried out by the Zanu PF Junta have to be stopped. Let’s join forces and fight for all the people who have risked so much to fight for us and for a peaceful democratic future for Zimbabwe.
We are calling on everyone, asking them to demand that the Zanu PF regime is held to account by SADC and AU leaders for the missing people; we demand the safe return of all the abducted people immediately.
RECOMMENDED ACTION from Amnesty International (download PDF version of appeal here):
Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language:
- expressing grave concern over the abduction or arrest of Jestina Mukoko, the director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, who was forcibly taken from her home by people believed to be state security agents on 3 December 2008;
- calling on the Zimbabwean authorities to disclose the whereabouts of Jestina Mukoko and not to ill treat her.
- calling on the Zimbabwean authorities to allow Jestina Mukoko access to her lawyer, family as well as food, water, warm clothes and medication;
- stating that Amnesty International considers that Jestina Mukoko is solely detained for expressing her views, without advocating violence, and considers her a prisoner of conscience. Amnesty International therefore calls for her immediate and unconditional release;
- calling on the Zimbabwean authorities to immediately end its practice of enforced disappearances and follow international standards on arrest and detention for persons under criminal investigation;
- expressing concern about continued harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and political activists by the Zimbabwean security forces;
- calling on the Zimbabwean authorities to immediately investigate all those responsible for the enforced disappearances, including those who sanctioned it and bring them to account.
APPEALS TO: (It may be difficult to get through to Zimbabwe by fax so please keep trying, alternatively send letters)
President Robert G. Mugabe
Office of the President
Munhumutapa Building
Samora Machel Avenue
Box 7700 Causeway
Harare,
Zimbabwe
Fax: + 263 4 734644
Salutation: Dear President
Commissioner General of Police Augustine Chihuri
Zimbabwe Republic Police General Head Quarters
PO Box 8807
Causeway
Harare
Zimbabwe
Fax: + 263 4 253 212
Salutation: Dear Commissioner
Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces :
General Constantine Chiwenga
Ministry of Defence
H/Q Defence House cnr Kwame Nkhuruma
3rd Street
Private Bag 7713
Causeway, Harare
Zimbabwe
Fax: + 263 4 796762
Salutation: Dear General
Attorney General :
Justice Bharat Patel
Office of the Attorney General
Private Bag 7714
Causeway
Harare
Zimbabwe
Fax: + 263 4 777 049
Salutation: Dear Attorney General
COPIES TO:
Zimbabwe Peace Project
PO Box BE 427
Belvedere
Harare
Zimbabwe
Fax: +263 4 778311
Ambassade de la République du Zimbabwe :
Square Joséphine Charlotte 11,
1200 Bruxelles
Fax : 02.762.96.05
Fax : 02.775.65.10
Email : zimbrussels@skynet.be [1]
Further actions
1. Email SADC and the AU and point out to them that these abductions violate Article XVIII of the Interparty Political Agreement which is meant to ensure the security of persons and prevention of violence. Visit our Action Contact Database and click on our current action initiative - ‘Demanding the release of Jestina Mukoko and all Zimbabwe’s abductees’ - to gather the contact details you need.
2. Call Norton Police Station, and put pressure on them to take immediate action. Ask them where Jestina is, and who took her. Tell them the world is watching closely. As always, be polite. Tel: +263 (062) 2120
3. Write appeal letters and email them to savejestinamukoko@yahoo.com. These appeal letters will be sent to the Government and members of the local, regional, and international comunity.
4. Click ‘Share This’ on our Jestina Mukoko widget, then copy and paste the code to embed the widget on your blog, on your website, and on social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo and Blogger. Ask other websites to carry the widget too. Click the email link on the widget that appears when you click ’share this’ - and email everyone you know; ask them to get involved. Then be sure to watch the widget for updates, and be ready to respond.
5. If you have a Facebook account, help raise awareness by donating your profile status to this cause. Change your status to read “(Your name) is donating his/her status to demand the safe release of all the people abducted in Zimbabwe by Mugabe’s regime”. Your friends and family will probably ask you why you are doing this. TELL THEM, then ask them to do the same. Keep your status on message until we get a clear response from SADC leaders. If you need to switch your status to something personal, do so, but make sure you switch it back to this message as soon as you can.
6. After changing your profile status, join the Facebook group called “I donated my profile status to free Jestina Mukoko”. The more people who join this group and show that they are taking a stand by donating their status, the more the media will sit up and take notice of how angry we all are. If our voices grow louder and louder, maybe SADC leaders will finally wake up and stand loudly in defence of those who who should be defended, rather than those perpetuating the terror!
As Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, Jestina is viewed as the most high-profile person to be abducted by the State to date. Her role as a human rights activist, and her work in documenting the range of human rights violations and atrocities by the Zanu PF regime, made her a threat to a despotic regime intent on holding onto power at all costs.
Her work was extremely valuable,” said a human rights activist who asked not to be named. “Thanks to the Peace Project, there is now a detailed record of thousands of incidents of murder, assault, torture, arson and so on, and who the perpetrators are.”
“They had just shifted from cataloguing violence, to abuse of food aid by the government, forcing people to support Mugabe or starve to death,” said a human rights lawyer. “It was going to be extremely embarrassing. It’s clear the CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation, Mr Mugabe’s secret police) want to stop it.”
As well as Jestina, the following people have also been abducted and are still missing.
Enough!