Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire remain in custody in Tanzania after traveling to observe the court appearance of jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu, the Tanzania Law Society confirmed on Wednesday. This comes after initial reports indicated they had been deported.
Mwangi and Atuhaire had arrived in Dar es Salaam to attend Lissu’s first court session on Monday, where he faces charges of treason and publishing false information. The case has intensified accusations of a government crackdown on opposition figures under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.
Tanzania Law Society President Boniface Mwabukusi had earlier stated that the activists were deported, but clarified on Wednesday that they are still in the custody of the Immigration Department, no longer under police detention. Efforts are ongoing to resolve the situation.
Lissu, a prominent opposition figure who survived a 2017 assassination attempt, is accused of treason for a speech urging rebellion and election disruption. His party, CHADEMA, has raised concerns over the fairness of the electoral process ahead of the October elections.
President Hassan, who plans to seek re-election, reaffirmed her commitment to human rights but also warned foreign activists against interfering in the country’s affairs, directing security services to block their entry. Several Kenyan activists were denied entry to Tanzania as they sought to attend Lissu’s hearing.