Passaris: Justice must be served for Mwangi, Atuhaire

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has condemned the arrest and deportation of activists Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire from Tanzania.

In a statement on X, Passaris described the incident as a violation of human rights.

"Their unlawful arrest, inhumane treatment, and violent deportation from Tanzania are not just a violation of their rights," she said.

"They are a stain on our region’s collective conscience."

She said she was deeply disturbed by reports of abuse suffered by the two.

As a mother, a legislator, and a defender of human rights, I am deeply disturbed by the accounts of torture, sexual abuse, and humiliation they endured," said Passaris.

"These are not the values that define our continent, our leadership, or our future."

She called on Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan to take action.

"President Suluhu Samia has broken many glass ceilings, and her leadership has inspired countless women across Africa," she said.

"But no vision for progress can coexist with the abuse of power and the silencing of activists." "I call on her, not just as a Head of State, but as a mother and a champion for change, to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated and that justice is served."

"We pray for healing, strength, and justice for Boniface and Agather," she said.

"May their courage continue to light the way toward a freer, fairer, and more humane Africa."

On June 2, Mwangi vowed to press on with his advocacy work, declaring that neither he nor his colleagues will be silenced.

In his first interview since being released from detention in Tanzania, Mwangi recounted the harrowing ordeal at the hands of his abductors and criticised the Kenyan government for abandoning him during the crisis.

"My government let me down. It sided with Suluhu's government and claimed we were interfering with Tanzanian politics," he said.

"We were not, and we did not hide the reasons for our visit." Mwangi asserted that his visit to Tanzania, like many others to countries across Africa, was in solidarity with fellow human rights defenders

"I have been to Tanzania before to visit another political prisoner. I was in Uganda when Bobi Wine was under house arrest. I have done that in many African countries because I am an African and I belong to this continent. Afric

Addressing the press in Nairobi alongside Atuhaire, Mwangi reaffirmed their commitment to fighting for human rights across the region.a is home," he stated.