Karua writes to AU over 'detention and torture' of Kenya and Uganda activists in Tanzania

By Brian Kimani, NAIROBI Kenya

Kenya’s Peoples Liberation Party (PLP) leader, Martha Karua has written to various continental organisations, demanding immediate action from Tanzanian President Samia Hassan's administration regarding the detention and torture of human rights activists Boniface Mwangi and Uganda's Agather Atuhaire. 

In a letter addressed to the African Union, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, Karua explained that detaining the duo breached the international human rights standards and sets a precedent for democratic values in the region.

According to Karua, the activists were part of a delegation of East African observers in Tanzania to follow the trial against opposition leader Tundu Lissu, but upon arrival, they were arrested and held incommunicado by authorities.

"The detention of Mwangi and Atuhire was preceded by the deportation of six other International Trial Observers who included a former Chief Justice, former Minister of Justice and a member of the Law Society of Kenya Council who had arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport on the same mission," Karua explained while recalling the Monday, May 19 incident.

Karua listed ten demands to the continental bodies and international partners to mitigate the issue, calling for the organisations to issue formal diplomatic notes to the Tanzanian government requesting clarification on Atuhaire's whereabouts. 

Other demands include: 

 - Activate your human rights monitoring mechanisms and request permission and raise an inquiry on allegations of illegal detention and torture.

- Raise this matter in bilateral discussions with Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, emphasizing the importance of transparency and adherence to legal procedures.

- Coordinate a joint diplomatic statement expressing concern about the forced disappearances and deportation of East African citizens, calling for immediate resolution.

- Engage with the East African Community Secretariat to convene an extraordinary meeting addressing this breach of regional protocols on human rights and the rule of law. 

- Deploy diplomatic observers to attend any court proceedings related to these cases, should the activists reappear in the judicial system.

- Review bilateral assistance programs with relevant governments, with consideration of human rights compliance conditions.

- Facilitate international legal expertise to support local human rights defenders working on these cases.

-  Invoke applicable international human rights mechanisms, including UN Special Procedures and regional human rights bodies.

- Maintain public diplomacy that reinforces the importance of human rights and just governance as cornerstones of international relations in the region.

Karua, who wrote the letter in her capacity as the convener of the Pan African Progressive Leaders’ Solidarity Network, appealed to the continental bodies to respond within 72 hours.

"This situation represents not only a humanitarian concern for the individuals involved but also a troubling indicator of deteriorating human rights and justice standards within the East African Community. Your diplomatic influence is crucial in ensuring that member states uphold their commitments to human rights and the rule of law," she said.

The development comes after Mwangi appeared for the first time in public on Thursday, where he claimed that the Tanzanian authorities subjected him to torture for nearly a week. 

“I have gone through four very dark days, I have been tortured very badly, I can barely walk,” he stated. 

“But I am very concerned about Agather because we were tortured together, and they did very horrible things to us. So, I hope Agather is safe.”