Two human rights activists from Kenya and Uganda have accused Tanzanian security forces of sexually assaulting them while detained last month in Dar es Salaam.
Boniface Mwangi of Kenya and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda were arrested after arriving to attend the first court hearing of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges.
Both Mwangi and Atuhaire say they were blindfolded, stripped, and sexually assaulted by officers during their interrogation in custody.
Mwangi, speaking tearfully at a Nairobi press conference, revealed officers also photographed him while assaulting him.
Atuhaire described a similar ordeal, stating she was blindfolded and tied up before the assault.
After several days in custody, the activists were released near their respective borders and safely returned home.
Tanzanian authorities have not publicly addressed the detentions or assault allegations.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan previously warned foreign activists against “invading and interfering” in Tanzania’s affairs on the day of their arrests.
Lissu, who finished second in Tanzania’s last presidential election, was arrested in April and charged with treason over a speech allegedly inciting rebellion ahead of October’s vote.
Since Hassan took office in 2021, she initially eased political repression but has faced growing criticism for arrests and disappearances of opposition figures.
Hassan maintains the government’s commitment to human rights and has ordered investigations into reported abductions last year.
The activists’ allegations add a grim chapter to Tanzania’s escalating crackdown on dissent as the October elections approach.