Tanzania: Rights Groups Report Government Crackdown
- two East African activists, Boniface Mwangi from Kenya and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda, recently recounted harrowing experiences of alleged torture and sexual assault during their detention in Tanzania.
- State Department's "International Woman of Courage" award, traveled to Tanzania in May to observe the court case of Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian opposition leader.
- Mwangi described being stripped, hung upside down, and sexually assaulted while forced to praise Tanzanian President Samia suluhu Hassan.
Kenyan and Ugandan activists are alleging horrific accounts of torture and sexual assault at the hands of Tanzanian authorities. The activists, monitoring the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, claim they were targeted by state security officials. Their accounts detail harrowing experiences, including physical abuse, while Tanzanian police deny the accusations. The U.S. State Department has expressed concern over thes serious allegations, adding further international scrutiny while the opposition leader faces treason charges. These actions, potentially influencing the upcoming elections, have prompted discussions about political freedom and human rights in Tanzania. News Directory 3 is following this developing story closely, offering in-depth reporting as new developments emerge. Discover what’s next as this story unfolds.
Activists Allege Torture,Sexual Assault in Tanzania Amid Political Crackdown
Agather Atuhaire at a press conference after their release from Tanzanian detention.” >two East African activists, Boniface Mwangi from Kenya and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda, recently recounted harrowing experiences of alleged torture and sexual assault during their detention in Tanzania. At a press conference, the activists detailed their ordeal, which they say occurred while they were monitoring what they described as a “sham” trial of an opposition leader.
Mwangi and Atuhaire, a recipient of the U.S. State Department’s “International Woman of Courage” award, traveled to Tanzania in May to observe the court case of Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian opposition leader. They claim state security officials and plainclothes men detained them.
Mwangi described being stripped, hung upside down, and sexually assaulted while forced to praise Tanzanian President Samia suluhu Hassan. Atuhaire reported being taken to a separate room and raped. The activists were later abandoned near the border.
Tanzanian police have refuted these claims. Though, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs has voiced its concern regarding the allegations.
The activists’ presence in Tanzania was to support Lissu, leader of the CHADEMA party, who faces treason charges. Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017, was arrested in April. His lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, said the charges are baseless and politically motivated, designed to prevent Lissu from participating in the upcoming elections.
“The reason they’ve charged him with treason is that its non-bailable…this is a common ploy in Tanzanian election politics, to instrumentalize the courts to bar your opponents,” Amsterdam said.
Amsterdam added that he would discuss potential legal action with Mwangi.
What’s next
The allegations of torture and the arrest of Tundu Lissu come amid growing concerns about political freedom and human rights in Tanzania.These events may impact Tanzania’s general elections in October and its international relations.