News / National
High Court court orders police search for Itai Dzamara
13 Mar 2015 at 19:56hrs | Views
High Court on Friday ordered police and the state intelligence agency to search for a journalist-turned-activist who went missing after staging sit-ins demanding the resignation of President Robert Mugabe.
Itai Dzamara was taken by five unidentified men on Monday and bundled into an unmarked truck near his home in the capital Harare, according to his family.
Dzamara's wife had approached the court to force the police and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to search for her husband. During the hearing, the police and CIO denied knowing Dzamara's whereabouts.
In his judgement, High Court judge David Mangota ordered the police minister, commissioner-general of police and head of CIO "to do all things necessary to determine his whereabouts", including advertising on all state media.
Mangota said detectives should work with Dzamara's lawyers "to search for (Dzamara) at all such places as may be within their jurisdiction" and report progress to the court.
The United States, European Union and human rights groups have asked the government to ensure Dzamara's safety.
Itai Dzamara was taken by five unidentified men on Monday and bundled into an unmarked truck near his home in the capital Harare, according to his family.
Dzamara's wife had approached the court to force the police and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to search for her husband. During the hearing, the police and CIO denied knowing Dzamara's whereabouts.
In his judgement, High Court judge David Mangota ordered the police minister, commissioner-general of police and head of CIO "to do all things necessary to determine his whereabouts", including advertising on all state media.
Mangota said detectives should work with Dzamara's lawyers "to search for (Dzamara) at all such places as may be within their jurisdiction" and report progress to the court.
The United States, European Union and human rights groups have asked the government to ensure Dzamara's safety.
Source - Reuters
