Ugandan Rights Activist Found with Signs of Torture After Detention in Tanzania

Edited by: Widad WAHBI

A Ugandan human rights activist who was detained incommunicado in Tanzania earlier this week has been found with visible signs of torture, according to a statement released Friday by the Ugandan rights organization Agora Discourse.

Agather Atuhaire, a journalist and vocal human rights advocate, was arrested on Monday in Dar es Salaam alongside prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi. The pair had traveled to Tanzania to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges punishable by death.

According to Agora Discourse, Atuhaire was “dumped at the border” between Tanzania and Uganda by Tanzanian authorities and was subsequently recovered by friends and family. Spire Ssentongo, co-founder of the organization, told AFP that Atuhaire was showing “clear signs of torture” and that her arrest raises serious concerns about the treatment of activists in the region.

The incident has sparked condemnation from rights groups across East Africa, who denounce what they describe as a growing crackdown on regional solidarity and civic space. Observers had previously noted the Tanzanian government’s refusal to allow several international and regional figures, including Kenyan politician Martha Karua, to enter the country to attend Lissu’s court proceedings.

The Tanzanian government has yet to respond publicly to the allegations surrounding Atuhaire’s arrest and treatment.