Resolution of the FIDH International Board

The International Board of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), at its meeting held in Paris from 5th – 7th December 2008, expresses its serious concern following the abduction and subsequent enforced disappearance of the Zimbabwean human rights defender - Ms. Jestina Mukoko, Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) and Board Member of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum [1].

On December 3, 2008, at 5 in the morning, Jestina Mukoko was abducted from her home in Norton before her children by a group of 15 unidentified armed men, who were driving an unmarked vehicle with no registration numbers.

According to the information received by FIDH, over the past months, in the run-up to the general elections, dozens of activists have been abducted and later found dead.

FIDH’s International Board requests the authorities of Zimbabwe to immediately release Jestina Mukoko and guarantee her physical integrity, stop the policy of harassment of dissenting voices in Zimbabwe and conduct thorough and impartial investigations into the above-mentioned events.

FIDH’s International Board calls upon the international community, and particularly the African Union, to adopt all necessary measures to stop human rights abuses committed in Zimbabwe, fight against the impunity and ensure the protection of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe.

Adopted on 6 December 2008