Civil Society organizations, including Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, and Partnership Africa Canada, have condemned the action taken against Zimbabwean non-governmental organization, the Centre for Research and Development (CRD), which has been instrumental in exposing ongoing human rights abuses in Zimbabwe’s notorious Marange diamond fields.

CRD Director, Farai Maguwu's home, was raided by Zimbabwean Central Intelligence Organization agents. They confiscated documents and equipment, and arrested Maguwu’s nephew, Lisbern Maguwu.

Farai Maguwu and other CRD staff have gone into hiding since the raid, and lawyers attempting to gain access to Lisbern Maguwu have reportedly been interrogated and threatened by police.

The raid came just days after Farai Maguwu met with Abbey Chikane, the Kimberley Process monitor appointed to Zimbabwe to assess the country’s compliance with the diamond trade regulator's imposed requirements.

“This is the latest in a series of attempts by the Zimbabwean authorities to intimidate Centre for Research and Development representatives, and stop them from investigating and publicizing ongoing abuses in the Marange diamond fields,” said Bernard Taylor of Partnership Africa Canada.

“Such harassment is wholly unacceptable and must stop.”

The Centre for Research and Development is a member of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, an official observer of the international scheme.

The Kimberley Process is a rough diamond certification scheme that seeks to eradicate the trade in conflict diamonds, responsible for fuelling brutal conflicts in the past.