Amnesty International, has issued an official censure of Zimbabwe's arrest of human rights activist and Director of the Mutare-based Centre for Research and Development Farai Maguwu.

Maguwu's organization is one of the groups investigating human rights violations in Zimbabwe's diamond fields.

Amnesty International's press release read as follows:

"Human rights defender Farai Maguwu was arrested on June 3 after passing on information about human rights abuses to an independent monitor of the diamond trade. Farai Maguwu is being held in Harare Central Police Station, where he has been denied access to medication. He is a prisoner of conscience, held for carrying out his human rights work.

"On 27 May, both the office and home of Farai Maguwu, director of the Zimbabwean NGO, the Center for Research and Development (CRD), was raided by armed Zimbabwean security agents. The agents confiscated his car, computer, passport and other documents. His nephew Lisbern Maguwu was arrested in the raid. However, Farai Maguwu escaped through a window.

"The CRD has investigated human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields, in the east of the country. The organization is involved in the Kimberly Process, an international coalition of governments, industry and civil society organizations which aims to break the links between the diamond trade and the funding of violence.

"On 26 May, a day before the raid, Farai Maguwu had spoken to the monitor for the Kimberley Process in Zimbabwe about human rights abuses in the diamond fields. Since the raid, other members of Farai Maguwu’s family have been beaten and interrogated by police.

"Fearing for their safety, Farai Maguwu and other CRD staff went into hiding. Lisbern Maguwu was allegedly beaten in custody, and lawyers attempting to see him were threatened by police. Lisbern Maguwu was released on bail after being charged with violence the security agents allege occurred during the raid. He is awaiting trial.

"Farai Maguwu handed himself in to police on 3 June, and was immediately arrested. On 7 June, he was charged with communicating information which was prejudicial to the State. He has been denied bail, and has been denied access to medication he was taking for a chest and throat infection. A court has now ordered that he receive this medication."

The Center for Research and Development, added Amnesty's press release, "is a member of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, an official observer of the Kimberly Process (KP). The international program was set up in 2003, which certifies rough diamonds as being free from links to violence.

"The CRD has been central in investigating human rights abuses by state security agents against local people in Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields.

"In 2009, KP officials visited Zimbabwe and investigated human rights abuses by state security agents, and diamond smuggling conducted by the military in Marange. As a result of these findings, in November 2009, KP in cooperation with Zimbabwe, implemented a supervised export mechanism for diamonds from Marange, to address Zimbabwe’s non-compliance with KP’s standards.

"KP monitor Abbey Chikane, a South African man, was in Zimbabwe to assess whether the country was meeting KP’s minimum standards. Farai Maguwu allegedly shared a report on continuing human rights abuses in Marange with him. Abbey Chikane reportedly shared this information with state security officials."

Amnesty International urged the following action:

"Calling on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Farai Maguwu, as he is a prisoner of conscience, detained solely because of his human rights work;

Urging the authorities to end the harassment of members of his family; to investigate the beating of his relatives, and to bring those responsible to justice;

While Farai Maguwu is in custody, calling for guarantees that he will be given immediate and regular access to his

relatives, lawyers and any medical treatment and medication he may need;

Calling on the Attorney General to investigate alleged human rights violations by security forces in the Marange diamond fields and hold those responsible accountable

Urging the authorities to end harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders reporting on human rights violations in the Marange diamond fields by state security agents."