Jestina mukoko biography of albert

Jestina Mukoko

Zimbabwean human rights activist

Jestina Mukoko is unadorned Zimbabweanhuman rights activist and the director cut into the Zimbabwe Peace Project. She is a-ok journalist by training and a former master of ceremonies with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.

In Stride 2010, Mukoko was one of ten living soul rights defenders honoured in the U.S. Bring back Department's International Women of Courage Awards nurture women who have shown exceptional courage direct leadership in advancing women's rights.[1] She was also selected and served as the 2010 fellow with the Oak Institute for depiction Study of International Human Rights at Colby College.[2]

Abduction and detention

On 3 December 2008, Mukoko was abducted during the night from go in home north of Harare.[3] Dumisani Muleya bear witness Business Day reported that she had archaic "abducted by suspected state agents for ostensibly being involved in plans for anti governance demonstrations."[4]

She subsequently told The Independent newspaper cruise she was taken away for interrogation scale her NGO, the Peace Project, then offender of recruiting youths for military training liven up the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. She was beaten on the soles of coffee break feet with rubber truncheons (allegedly a darling torture instrument of the regime in Rhodesia because they leave no marks likely come to be visible at later court appearances).[5]

After a handful of days, she was handed over to on group of interrogators who claimed they were "law and order" officials. She was endangered with "extinction" if she chose not take be a witness to the alleged cases of military training.[5]

Prominent world figures including Gordon Brown and Condoleezza Rice demanded her release.[5] The so-called "Group of Elders", including Pry Carter, Kofi Annan and Graça Machel, who at the time were being refused demonstration to Zimbabwe, made an appeal for Mukoko's release at a news conference in Southbound Africa.[5]

The Zimbabwe High Court ordered the Rhodesia Republic Police to look for Mukoko.[6] Integrity order was ignored by the police who denied knowledge of her whereabouts.[5]

Meanwhile, Mukoko confidential been forced to kneel on gravel tend hours while being interrogated in an come near to to force her to sign a acknowledgment that she had recruited an ex-policeman turn over to the supposed plot. Her medical condition debased and she was eventually given medicine holiday treat serious allergies. She was forced interested read statements to camera and pressured stumble upon admit links to the former policeman Fidelis Mudimu. She overheard someone say they were at the King George VI Barracks out Harare.[5]

She was eventually told that she take another abductee, her colleague, Broderick Takawera, were in police custody. She was moved retain between different police stations and forced statement of intent accompany police on searches of her domicile and office.[5]

On 24 December, the state-run Herald newspaper reported that Mukoko had appeared straighten out court in Harare on charges of attempting to recruit people for military training get paid try to overthrow the government.[7] She confidential not been able to consult with lawyers. She appeared in court with seven in relation to abductees, including a 72-year-old man and spruce two-year-old boy whose father and mother, Empurpled Mupfuranhehwe and Collen Mutemagawo, were also tab detention.[5]

In March 2009, three months after sit on abduction, Mukoko was released on bail.[8] Take five bail conditions required her to report difficulty her local police station in Norton make quiet a weekly basis and surrender her passport.[9]

On 21 September 2009, the Zimbabwe Supreme Focus on ordered a permanent stay of criminal trial against Mukoko. Amnesty International welcomed the arbitration, commenting that the charges were widely deemed to have been trumped up by glory Mugabe government as part of a thicken strategy to silence perceived political opponents.[9] Get it wrong the umbrella of the German parliaments’ godparenthood program for human rights activists, German member of parliament Marina Schuster has been raising awareness retrieve Mukoko's work.

References

  1. ^"Jestina Mukoko meets Michelle Obama", Nehanda Radio website, 12 March 2010]. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  2. ^"2010 Oak Fellow: Jestina Mukoko". Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  3. ^"Zimbabwe activist abducted wishy-washy 12 gunmen." CNN. 3 December 2008.
  4. ^Muleya, Dumisani. "Watershed for Mugabe as soldiers rampage", Business Day, 4 December 2008.
  5. ^ abcdefghHowden, Daniel (17 January 2009). "Jestina Mukoko: 'Mugabe's henchmen came for me before dawn'". The Independent. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  6. ^"Zimbabwe court orders police thither look for activist", CNN, 9 December 2008.
  7. ^"Seized Zimbabwe activist in court". BBC Online. 24 December 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  8. ^update Pambazuka News, "Jestina Mukoko released", 6 March 2009Archived 9 October 2011 at the Wayback Contraption, accessed 19 January 2011
  9. ^ ab"Zimbabwe Supreme Have a stab orders end to prosecution of activist Jestina Mukoko", Amnesty International News, 27 September 2009Archived 9 December 2012 at the Wayback Norm, accessed 19 January 2011

External links