following the reported arbitrary arrest, torture, incommunicado detention, and forcible deportation of human rights defenders Agather Atuhaire and Boniface Mwangi, Amnesty International has called on Tanzanian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation. The incident has raised concerns about the safety and treatment of human rights observers in the country.

Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan national, and Boniface mwangi, from Kenya, were part of a delegation that arrived in Tanzania on May 18 to monitor the trial of imprisoned opposition politician Tundu Lissu. On May 19, they were apprehended by immigration and police officials at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam. they were than taken to an undisclosed location where they were allegedly beaten,tortured,and stripped naked by individuals believed to be members of the Tanzanian military,and held incommunicado.

Amnesty International’s response

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, stated, “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 promptly.”

for four days, these two human rights defenders were subjected to unimaginable cruelty.

The organization has also expressed concern over remarks made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan after the arrest of Atuhaire and Mwangi. The president called for a crackdown on human rights defenders entering Tanzania,labeling them as “foreign agents.” Amnesty International believes that such statements provide an unjustified pretext for state authorities to impose restrictions that violate international human rights obligations.

Chagutah added, “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.”

Amnesty International has previously reported on what it describes as an intensification of a clampdown on peaceful dissent as tanzania approaches presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2025.

Pressure from Kenyan and Ugandan entities, including civil society organizations and foreign affairs ministries, led to the release and deportation of Agather Atuhaire and Boniface Mwangi.

Boniface Mwangi was discovered abandoned at the Kenya-Tanzania border on May 22, while Agather Atuhaire was left at the Tanzania-Uganda border on may 23. Both individuals had apparently been severely beaten.

Chagutah asserted, “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.”

Background of the Case

Tundu Lissu faces a treason charge, a capital offense that is not bailable, along with other charges under Tanzania’s cybercrime laws. These charges stem from social media posts that called for Tanzanians to boycott the upcoming elections, citing potential rigging.

Lissu had previously declined to attend a hearing on April 24 after the state changed it from an in-person to an online hearing that morning. On that day, Tanzanian police allegedly beat more than 50 of tundu Lissu’s supporters who were attempting to access the court. Twenty-three individuals were reportedly arbitrarily arrested and beaten by police, who then abandoned them in a forest in Bagamoyo, north of Tanzania. These individuals sustained cuts and bruises on their bodies. According to Amnesty International, a woman and a man reported being sexually assaulted by the police.

On May 2, armed men identifying themselves as police officers allegedly beat and arrested political activist and human rights defender Mdude Nyagali at his home in Mbeya town, southern Tanzania. Eyewitnesses claim that the men did not present an arrest warrant or provide a reason for the arrest. Mdude Nyagali has been missing as the incident, and the state has denied holding him.