Farai Maguwu

A Zimbabwe Magistrates' Court has eased the bail conditions of human rights defender Mr Farai Maguwu.

Further Information

At a second bail hearing which took place in Court 6 in Harare on 17 August, the Presiding Magistrate, Munamato Mutevedzi, renewed Farai Maguwu's bail but relaxed the conditions of his release, cancelling a travel ban to which he had been subject beyond a 40km zone around the city of Mutare, and ordering that he report to the police station only once a week rather than daily. Farai Maguwu has now been remanded on bail until 23 September 2010.

Farai Maguwu was initially arrested on 3 June 2010 following a meeting with Mr Abbey Chikane, a Kimberley Process monitor, in which they discussed evidence of alleged military abuses in the diamond-rich Marange region in Mutare West. Farai Maguwu was released on bail on 12 July 2010. The court is yet to set a date for Farai Maguwu's trial. If found guilty of the charges of “communicating and publishing falsehoods against the State with the intention to cause prejudice to the security or economic interests of the country” under Section 31 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act), Farai Maguwu would face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.

In addition, court orders previously issued by the High Court of Zimbabwe and the Magistrates Court have not been complied with. The orders required the submission to the court of an inventory of Farai Maguwu's possessions as well as his passport, which had been seized by the police, with a view to enabling the eventual return of the items to the human rights defender. However, although the defence team learned that this list was eventually submitted, to date none of Farai Maguwu's possessions have been returned to him, and it is unknown whether his passport has been surrendered. During the bail hearing on 17 August, the court refused to consider Farai Maguwu's lawyers' complaints about the matter, and only directed that the Prosecutor and defence team work together outside the court to solve the problem.

Please see the original Front Line Urgent Appeal of 18 June 2010, and updates of 13 July, 5 July and 22 June.