Kenyan human rights activists Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire were arrested in Tanzania for attending a court session in support of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing a treason trial. The arrest highlights the escalating political repression in Tanzania under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Mwangi and Atuhaire’s presence at Lissu’s hearing was a show of solidarity against what they perceive as a politically motivated prosecution. Lissu, a prominent critic of the Tanzanian government, has been repeatedly targeted, including surviving an assassination attempt in 2017. The treason charges against him are widely viewed as an attempt to silence dissent.
Their arrest underscores the increasing restrictions on political freedom and human rights in Tanzania, a trend that has intensified under Hassan’s leadership despite initial promises of reform. Activists and opposition figures are facing growing harassment, arrests, and restrictions on their activities. The incident further exposes the deteriorating state of democratic rights in the region.
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