The East African Legislative Assembly should investigate claims of abuse by Boniface Mwangi and Agatha Atuhaire at the hands of Tanzanian police, a coalition of human rights organisations has said.
Amnesty International, Law society of Kenya, the Kenyan chapter of International Commission of Jurists and the Independent Medico-lego Unit on Tuesday said Eala should hold public hearings to investigate the alleged misconduct of the Tanzanian police in their treatment of the two activists.
Leaders Houghton Irungu, Faith Odhiambo, Erick Mukoya and Grace Wangeci demanded that relevant Eala committees take up the cases and investigate them.
This includes summoning the Foreign Ministers from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to shed light on the incidents.
The groups also urged the Parliaments in Kenya and Uganda to address the issues concurrently with Eala’s actions.
“We petition both Kenyan and Ugandan parliamentarians to summon their respective Foreign Affairs ministers to account for the action taken to protect their nationals and spell out the steps being taken to secure justice and compensation for the suffering and trauma experienced [by Mwangi and Atuhaire],” they stated.
“The police reform working group shall, with others, also formally petition members of the East Africa Legislative Assembly to initiate a parliamentary public hearing.”
The lobbies expressed grave concern, complaining that “for four long days, the two were denied medical treatment and access to their families or legal representatives,” adding that “rather than being brought to a court of law, they were kept in inhuman detention”.
The organisations stressed that the international community should hold the Tanzanian government accountable, given its status as a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture.
“Torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are serious crimes under multiple treaties and international law,” they affirmed.
Mwangi and Atuhaire had travelled to Tanzania on May 18, to show support for Tundu Lissu, the country’s opposition leader, who is facing treason charges.
On Monday, the activists informed reporters that they were forcefully removed from their hotel on the night of their arrival.
They were moved between police stations, questioned by immigration officers and then handed over to their alleged tormentors.
“We were transferred to a police station where we found a guy called Mafwele. The beating continued in the presence of three lawyers. At that station, Mafwele said he is going to rape Agather,” Mwangi recalled.
“When the lawyers left us, they did not tell our families that we are being beaten, threatened and harassed. Because Mafwele, in front of the lawyers, asked if I was circumcised. He said they would circumcise me again.”
The activists reported that at the Central Police Station, an unknown group entered.
They were then blindfolded and forced into a Land Cruiser that drove for about 20 minutes before they were led into a room that became their torture chamber.
