Tanzania has been thrust into the international spotlight after two foreign activists Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi alleged they were tortured while detained in Tanzania.
Earlier this week, both activists were arrested in Dar es Salaam after attending the court proceedings of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu facing treason charges for reportedly inciting political dissent in the run-up to Tanzania’s elections in October as per Reuters.
Mwangi, a well-known human rights activist in Kenya said while in detention that they were taken to an unknown place and tortured under the instruction of a Tanzanian state security officer and recalled hearing Atuhaire when they were being held.
Atuhaire came to prominence in her work on revealing corruption and human rights abuses in Uganda, she was released and dropped off at the Uganda-Tanzania border. The Agora Centre for Research have confirmed her release and said they are relieved for her safety.
The government of Tanzania has not commented on the allegations of torture. However, in a recent public address President Samia Suluhu Hassan cautioned foreign activists against interfering with the internal affairs of the nation.
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These events have intensified worries about Tanzania’s human rights record as the nation approaches its general elections. After assuming office in 2021, President Hassan earned praise for relaxing the extreme political repression of his predecessor. But in the wake of protests over multiple arrests and claimed abuses of political foes and activists, that early praise – at least from external actors has morphed into allegations of repression.
International human rights organizations are calling for transparent investigations into Mwangi and Atuhaire’s treatment and calling on the Tanzanian government to uphold its commitments to human rights and the rule of law.
