‘Efforts will be made to hold accountable those responsible’: lawsuit against government officials for ‘torture of a sexual nature’ planned by activists in Tanzania

Two East African activists are planning to sue Tanzania’s government for unlawful detention and torture, stemming from their treatment during a May visit in support of an opposition politician. Boniface Mwangi, from Kenya, and Agather Atuhaire, from Uganda, allege they were sexually assaulted and, in Atuhaire’s case, smeared with excrement following their detention in Dar es Salaam. Despite the region’s familiarity with human rights abuses, the targeting of foreigners by Tanzanian authorities marks a concerning escalation in the crackdown on critics and opponents of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Mwangi and Atuhaire, who were in Tanzania to attend a court hearing for opposition politician Tundu Lissu, accused security officials of physical and verbal abuse, detailing nasty torture methods and the insertion of objects into their rectums. The activists plan to pursue legal action through Tanzanian, regional, and international courts, expressing their commitment to holding those accountable. This incident adds to a series of killings, kidnappings, arrests, and tortures that have drawn international condemnation. Mwangi and Atuhaire’s case highlights the heightened fear and pressure imposed by the government ahead of Hassan’s first presidential election, with some activists suggesting a return to the authoritarian tactics of the previous president, John Magufuli.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/29/activists-boniface-mwangi-agather-atuhaire-tanzania