A Kenyan human rights coalition has called on the global community to exert pressure on Tanzania to launch a thorough investigation into allegations that police officers subjected Kenyan and Ugandan activists to sexual torture last month.
Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire were held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial hub, from May 19 to 23 while attempting to attend the trial of opposition figure Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges and the possibility of a death sentence.
Both activists have come forward with harrowing accounts of torture and sexual abuse inflicted by the Tanzanian police during their detention.
On Tuesday, the Police Reforms Working Group, a coalition of Kenyan rights organisations, called on “the East African Community and the international community to demand that the government of Tanzania hold accountable the police officers and their commanding officers responsible for the torture, assault, and sexual assault committed against Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire.”
The group spoke alongside the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) at a press conference in Nairobi.
“Torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are serious crimes under multiple treaties and international law,” they said.
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“The government of Tanzania must arrest and prosecute all officers suspected of responsibility for the human rights violations against Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire and bring them to justice in a fair trial.”
Irungu Houghton, Amnesty International Kenya’s director, condemned Tanzania’s actions, describing them as part of a “relentless crackdown on any dissenting voices” ahead of the upcoming October elections.
With President Samia Suluhu Hassan seeking another term, her administration has banned the primary opposition party, Chadema, following its demands for political reforms as a condition for participation.
Despite multiple calls for clarification, the Tanzanian government has remained silent on the allegations brought forward by Mwangi and Atuhaire.