AfricTivistes expresses its deep concern over the arbitrary arrest of Kenyan activists Boniface Mwangi, Hanifa Farsafi, Hussein Khalid, Martha Karua, and Ugandan lawyer and journalist Agather Atuhaire, who were apprehended on Monday, 19 May 2025, in Tanzania while attending the treason trial of Tundu Lissu, leader of the main opposition party in Tanzania.

Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire have been placed in secret detention, with no formal charges publicly communicated to date. Boniface Mwangi, who arrived in Dar es Salaam on 18 May, is accused of providing false information to enter Tanzanian territory.

Their presence in Tanzania, alongside many other activists from the sub-region, aimed to express peaceful solidarity with Tundu Lissu, who is currently facing treason charges in an increasingly repressive political context, just six months ahead of the presidential election. It is worth noting that the death penalty is prescribed for this charge.

On 19 May, in a public statement during the launch of Tanzania’s new foreign policy, President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned regional activists against any “interference” in the country’s internal affairs. This concerning statement is perceived as legitimising the growing repression against dissenting voices occurring in the country six months before the presidential election scheduled for October this year.

The case of Boniface Mwangi is of particular concern to us. Boniface is a member of AfricTivistes and is a Kenyan photojournalist, politician, and activist. He is one of the leaders of the Occupy Parliament movement in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. In June 2024, this movement opposed a government bill that proposed new taxes. 

At that time, these protests, which were violently suppressed, resulted in the deaths of over thirty (30) protesters after the police fired live ammunition. Several others were injured by masked men who instilled terror in the country at that time.

AfricTivistes firmly condemns these unjustified arrests, which constitute a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, notably Articles 9 (freedom of expression), 10 (freedom of association), 11 (freedom of assembly), and 12 (freedom of movement) in all member states of the African Union.

Such practices are contrary to the Pan-African principles of solidarity, justice, and respect for fundamental freedoms. They tarnish the image of Tanzania, once perceived as a bastion of hospitality, Pan-Africanism, and democratic commitment on the continent.

AfricTivistes calls on the Tanzanian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Boniface Mwangi, Agather Atuhaire, and all other activists arrested for the crime of Pan-African solidarity, and to ensure their physical safety.

Our solidarity with all human rights defenders on the continent. The struggle for democracy knows no borders. AfricTivistes stands alongside those who work for freedom and justice, particularly in Tanzania, where fundamental freedoms have been undermined in recent years.