The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has ignited a global outcry after calling on the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture to immediately launch an investigation into the government of Tanzania, following horrifying revelations of sexual abuse suffered by renowned East African activists Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire while in state custody.
The HRF’s urgent plea, directed at UN Special Rapporteur Dr. Alice Jill Edwards, seeks an international probe into what it calls “cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” inflicted upon the activists in what they described as the “dark dungeons” of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s regime.
Mwangi, a fearless Kenyan photojournalist and activist, and Atuhaire, a respected Ugandan journalist and human rights defender, were abducted in May in Dar es Salaam while attending the court hearing of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Days later, they were found across the Kenyan border — disoriented, injured, and, as they would later reveal, severely traumatized.
In a packed press conference held in Nairobi on Monday, the pair recounted chilling details of how they were blindfolded, stripped, assaulted, and sexually violated by men they believe were Tanzanian state agents. Atuhaire, visibly shaken, said the abuse she endured left “permanent scars on my body and soul.” Mwangi, holding back tears, described how his tormentors mocked his activism as they raped him, saying, “This is your Pan-Africanism.”
“These were not rogue officers. This was a systematized form of torture — meant to humiliate, silence, and destroy us,” Atuhaire told journalists.
HRF’s call now places international pressure directly on President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has yet to comment on the scandal. Human rights organizations across East Africa and beyond are also joining in the condemnation, demanding swift action and accountability.
“This is no longer just a regional issue,” said Amnesty International’s East Africa Director. “These are crimes against humanity. Tanzania must be investigated and held accountable at the highest level.”
The United Nations Special Procedures Office has acknowledged receipt of HRF’s petition, though no formal investigation has been announced yet.
