ARTICLE 19 welcomes the United States government’s decision to impose sanctions on Tanzanian police official Faustine Jackson Mafwele over credible allegations linking him to the torture and sexual assault of human rights defenders Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire. This designation is an important step towards accountability for serious human rights violations and reflects growing international concern about the deteriorating state of civic space and human rights in Tanzania. However, it should not be viewed as a substitute for domestic accountability. Tanzanian authorities must conduct prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent investigations into these allegations and ensure that all those responsible are held accountable.
The sanctions stem from events surrounding the arrest and detention of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire in May 2025 while they were in Tanzania to observe the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Following their release, both activists alleged that they had been subjected to torture and sexual violence while in detention. Their detention occurred amid a broader crackdown on opposition figures, human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and regional observers seeking to monitor developments surrounding Lissu’s prosecution and Tanzania’s political environment.
The designation comes against the backdrop of increasing restrictions on civic space during and after Tanzania’s 2025 electoral period. The arrest of Tundu Lissu, the disqualification of the main opposition party, The Party for Democracy and Progress (CHADEMA) from participating in elections, restrictions on trial observers, and the detention and exclusion of regional human rights advocates raised serious concerns regarding the protection of freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and political participation in the country.
The sanctions also follow growing international scrutiny of allegations of enforced disappearances, abductions, torture, and other serious human rights violations in Tanzania. In May 2025, ARTICLE 19 raised concern regarding the increased crackdown on human rights defenders and political opposition, especially during the electioneering period. Furthermore, in February 2026, BBC Africa Eye released the documentary Tanzania’s State of Fear, which documented a pattern of kidnappings and abuses targeting government critics and opposition voices. In the documentary, numerous respondents, including Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire, identified Mafwele as the principal perpetrator of the abuses they allegedly suffered while in detention.
ARTICLE 19 notes that the alleged torture and sexual assault of Mwangi and Atuhaire among other victims of human rights violations cannot be viewed in isolation. Rather, they form part of a broader pattern of intimidation and repression targeting individuals who seek to exercise their fundamental rights or hold those in power accountable. The targeting of human rights defenders and observers for monitoring judicial proceedings or expressing solidarity with opposition actors undermines the rule of law, public accountability, and democratic governance.
The prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment is absolute under international law. Tanzania has an obligation to investigate all allegations of torture and sexual violence, hold those responsible accountable regardless of rank or position, and provide effective remedies to victims. Equally, the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly are protected under the Constitution of Tanzania, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
ARTICLE 19 stands in solidarity with Boniface Mwangi, Agather Atuhaire, Tundu Lissu, and all human rights defenders, journalists, and citizens in Tanzania who continue to face harassment, intimidation, arbitrary detention, and violence for exercising their fundamental freedoms. Their courage in documenting abuses and speaking out against repression remains critical to the defence of democracy and human rights in the region.