WDC applauds dismissal of charges against Farai Maguwu

The World Diamond Council welcomed the end of a long struggle to see justice for Farai Maguwu, the local human rights activist, as the court in Zimbabwean capital of Harare finally has dismissed the charges against Farai Maguwu on October 21. Farai Maguwu was accused of providing false information prejudicial to the state in connection with the Marange diamond fields.

"This is excellent news," said Eli Izhakoff, President of the World Diamond Council. "The case against Mr. Maguwu had cast a shadow over negotiations between the Zimbabwe government and the Kimberley Process for more than half a year. We sincerely hope that this matter has been resolved once and for all. I am confident that this will contribute positively to the atmosphere at the Kimberley Process Plenary Meeting in Jerusalem at the beginning of November. "

The accusations and arrest of Mr. Maguwu was a sensitive issue that raised protests in the diamond industry, which threatened to derail talks between the Zimbabwe government and the Kimberley Process over exports from Marange region. His release from prison was announced just before the start of the World Diamond Council Annual Meeting in July, during which a decision was reached to allow monitored exports from the Marange diamond fields. The WDC had strongly voiced its demand to dismiss charges against Mr. Maguwu. During the WDC Annual Meeting in July in St. Petersburg, Mr. Izhakoff publicly called on Johanne Tomana, the Zimbabwe Attorney General, to drop the charges against Mr. Maguwu. In the months that followed, leading up to the decision of the court in Harare on Thursday, the WDC continued to lobby the Zimbabwe authority to have all charges dismissed.