Front Line is deeply concerned at the adbuction Pascal Gonzo and Broderick Takawira, staff members of Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), on 8 December 2008. They were taken away from ZPP offices by six men driving unmarked cars.

Further Information

In the morning of 8 December, six men entered ZPP premises and demanded to see Broderick Takawira. On seeing Mr Takawira, they greeted him and told him they were taking him away. They also took Pascal Gonzo with them and sped at high speed in two sedans. Six cars were seen in the vicinity of the office. Two were blocking off Shangani Road and two blocked the entrance into Athol Close. The other two were parked at the ZPP gate. Security personnel at ZPP were not able to give proper identification of the vehicles because of the speed with which events took place.

The abduction of Pascal Gonzo and Broderick Takawira follows the abduction of ZPP director Jestina Mukoko on 3 December 2008. This seems to indicate a resurgence of the practice of abductions of human rights defenders, that were frequent in the eve of the re-run election in June.