Two prominent East African human rights defenders, Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer and journalist, and Boniface Mwangi, a renowned Kenyan activist, have filed a petition at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) against the governments of Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and the Secretary General of the East African Community.
In the petition, they are seeking “full accountability” and redress for what they describe as unlawful arrest, inhumane treatment, and deportation while attempting to attend the trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
The suit, filed as reference No. 21 of 2025, follows a sequence of events on May 18–19, 2025, when Atuhaire and Mwangi traveled to Dar es Salaam as part of a larger delegation of journalists, lawyers, and activists from across the East African region intending to observe Lissu’s treason trial.
According to their court documents, the two were arrested by Tanzanian authorities shortly after arrival, detained at central Police Station in Dar-es salaam, and subjected to humiliating and degrading treatment, including being held incommunicado for several hours, denied access to a lawyer, and interrogated without due process.
In the petition, Atuhaire and Mwangi accuse the Tanzanian government of unlawfully arresting and abusing them, the Kenyan and Ugandan governments of failing to intervene or offer consular protection and the Secretary General of the EAC of failing to take any steps to investigate, condemn, or remedy the violations.
The applicants want the EACJ to declare that their arrest, detention, and deportation were unlawful and contrary to the EAC Treaty.
They also want the court to hold the Kenya,Uganda and Tanzania government and the Secretary General of East Africa Community accountable for the violations.
They further want the respondents Compelled to issue a formal apology and award reparations and damages for the psychological and physical harm caused.
“Itself conduct prompt, efficient, impartial, transparent and professional investigations into the failure of its own officials to act at all or to act adequately and appropriately to remedy the gross violations of the rights of the Applicants and blatant violation of the legal regime of the EAC,” read the court documents.
The petitioners alleges that Atuhaire, was subjected to a strip search, forced to undress completely, squat while naked, and surrender her undergarments, treatment they describe as traumatic, degrading, and unlawful.
These actions, they argue violated her dignity.
Mwangi, was also allegedly interrogated and harassed.
According to the petition, he was physically assaulted by slapping and shoving, verbally abused and sexually assaulted.
“The captors recorded the 2nd Applicant and forced him to say his name, his wife and children’s names and where the children went to school. The captors further threatened him that if he ever narrated what happened to him, the video recording would be released to the public and that his family and friends would see it,” read the court documents.
They both allege that they were not informed of any lawful reason for their detention and were denied their rights as East African citizens under the EAC Treaty.
The applicants allege that public remarks by Tanzanian and Kenyan leaders worsened the human rights violations they faced while in Tanzania.
They cite a speech by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on 19 May 2025, where she warned against “ill-mannered individuals from other nations” interfering in Tanzania’s affairs.
Tanzanian MPs later echoed these remarks, calling for a strong stance against foreign activists.
The applicants also highlight comments by Kenyan President William Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, which they say downplayed the abuses.
The activists claim these statements emboldened authorities and created a hostile environment, leading to their alleged torture and deportation.
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