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AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai sought refuge Monday at the Dutch Embassy in Harare, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said, shortly after police took away 60 people from his party’s headquarters.

The developments came a day after Tsvangirai withdrew from Friday’s presidential runoff against longtime leader Robert Mugabe, saying harassment and violence against opposition supporters had made the balloting impossible.

Tsvangirai entered the Dutch Embassy shortly after the police raid, Dutch television reported. It was not clear how long he intended to remain in the embassy building.

“I can confirm that Tsvangirai is currently in the Dutch Embassy,” said spokesman Bart Rijs.

Rijs said he could not speculate why Tsvangirai chose the Dutch Embassy. But he noted that the Netherlands was a strong supporter of human rights groups in Zimbabwe although it did not finance any political parties.

Opposition spokesman Nqobizitha Mlilo refused to comment on the report and referred callers to The Hague.

Tsvangirai had applied for a new passport earlier this month and Zimbabwean officials refused, saying he lacked proper police clearance. His current passport has not expired but its pages are full.

On Sunday, Tsvangirai pulled out of the violence-wracked presidential runoff, declaring that the election was no longer credible and the loss of life among his supporters was simply too high

The announcement cleared the way for Mugabe to continue his 28-year rule, despite mounting condemnation from even loyal African allies that the former independence hero has become a despot who has bankrupted the country’s once thriving economy.

Zimbabwean Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said the runoff would go ahead in accordance with the constitution — and to prove Zimbabweans’ support for Mugabe, who has held power since independence from Britain in 1980.

Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential election on March 29, but did not gain an outright majority against 84-year-old Mugabe. That campaign was generally peaceful, but the runoff has been overshadowed by violence and intimidation, especially in rural areas. Independent human rights groups say 85 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes, most of them opposition supporters

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