Tanzanian authorities must investigate the arbitrary arrest, torture, incommunicado detention, and forcible deportation of human rights defenders Agather Atuhaire and Boniface Mwangi, Amnesty International said today.

Agather Atuhaire, from Uganda, and Kenyan national Boniface Mwangi arrived in Tanzania on 18 May as part of a delegation to observe the trial of jailed opposition politician Tundu Lissu. After being arrested by immigration and police officers at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam on 19 May, the two were driven to an unknown location, where they were held incommunicado and allegedly beaten, tortured and stripped naked by people believed to be members of the Tanzanian military.

“For four days, these two human rights defenders were subjected to unimaginable cruelty. Their ordeal highlights the dangers faced by human rights defenders in Tanzania and there must be accountability and justice. Amnesty International demands effective investigations be opened immediately,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.

For four days, these two human rights defenders were subjected to unimaginable cruelty. Their ordeal highlights the dangers faced by human rights defenders in Tanzania and there must be accountability and justice. Amnesty International demands effective investigations be opened immediately

Tigere Chagutah, Regional Director, Amnesty International, East and Southern Africa

Amnesty International is concerned by remarks made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the pair’s arrest, calling for a crackdown on human rights defenders who come into Tanzania, labelling them “foreign agents”.  Such statements provide state authorities with an unlawful and spurious pretext to impose restrictions flouting international human rights obligations.

“Trial observation is central to the transparency of court processes and guarantees of fair trials and is not a threat to security. President Suluhu’s remarks and actions by authorities in Tanzania sends a chilling message aimed at further stifling freedom of expression and association,” said Tigere Chagutah.

Amnesty International has reported the intensification of a vicious clampdown on peaceful dissent in recent years as the country heads towards presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2025.

Agather Atuhire and Boniface Mwangi’s release and deportation followed pressure from Kenyans and Ugandans, civil society organizations and intervention from the foreign affairs ministries of the two countries.

Trial observation is central to the transparency of court processes and guarantees of fair trials and is not a threat to security. President Suluhu’s remarks and actions by authorities in Tanzania sends a chilling message aimed at further stifling freedom of expression and association

Tigere Chagutah

Boniface Mwangi was found abandoned at a border post between Kenya and Tanzania on 22 May while Agather Athuire was left at the border between Tanzania and Uganda on 23 May. They were both separately driven to the posts and dumped. They appeared severely beaten.

“Tanzanian authorities must ensure and respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and end the repression against human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations. They must publicly recognize the critical role played by civil society, human rights defenders and independent media in protecting human rights and ensuring accountability,” said Tigere Chagutah.

Background

Tundu Lissu is charged with the capital and non-bailable offence of treason, alongside two other offences under the country’s cybercrime laws for social media posts calling for Tanzanians to boycott the forthcoming elections, citing the possibility of rigging.

Tundu Lissu had previously refused to appear at a hearing on 24 April after the state, on that morning, changed it from an in-person to an online hearing. On that day, Tanzanian police beat up more than 50 of Tundu Lissu’s supporters who were attempting to gain access to the court. Twenty-three were arbitrarily arrested and beaten by police who later dumped them in a forest in Bagamoyo, north of Tanzania.  They suffered cuts and bruises on various parts of their bodies, including head, hands legs, back and shoulders. A woman and a man reported to Amnesty International that they had been sexually assaulted by the police.

On 2 May, armed men, who identified themselves as police officers, badly beat up and arrested political activist and human rights defender, Mdude Nyagali, at his house in Mbeya town, southern Tanzania. According to eyewitnesses, the men did not produce an arrest warrant or provide a reason for the arrest. Mdude Nyagali has been missing since the incident. The state has denied holding him. Amnesty International

We all go through the youthful phase of wanting to do things differently from how our parents and previous generations did. The Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun. Every generation goes through this phase. 

The big difference when it comes to Gen Z is the visibility; social media and technology is their stepping stone. However, we cannot overlook the impact this visibility is causing and resultant influence to current systems and structures. There is going to be an impact, if it’s not there already.

The question then is, is this a real paradigm and mental shift or is it a case of history just repeating itself, this time more visibly - with pie-in-the-sky idealism and facade, before reality check in? 

I believe every generation has unique skill sets and culture that they carry with them, different from their parents. For Gen Z, they have the advantage of being born and brought up in a vibrant digital age.

This had its desired pros and cons. This should be used to their advantage, and not to make millennials and baby boomers feel archaic.

Comparatively, some Gen Zs have the advantage of having complex and sophisticated tech skills early on in their young lives. I say ‘some’ because there is also quite a number of Gen Zs who have complete access to social media, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok et al, but are complete novices and greenhorns in blockchain and AI. 

They don’t know coding and they don’t know programming and they have never heard these terms.

But they throw the words ‘digital’ and ‘technology’ in our seemingly old faces. Unfortunately, the internet has given most people, not just Gen Zs, Dutch courage. By Christabel May Khamala, The Standard