Kenyan Human Rights Advocate Martha Karua Detained in Tanzania

Karua, along with two colleagues, was detained at Dar es Salaam airport while attempting to observe opposition leader Tundu Lissu's court appearance. Human rights groups condemned their detention, highlighting a crackdown on dissent in Tanzania as electoral tensions rise.

Leading Kenyan lawyer and notable human rights advocate, Martha Karua, has reported her detention in Tanzania after arriving to attend a court hearing for Tundu Lissu, a prominent opposition leader facing treason charges. In a social media update, Karua revealed that she was apprehended at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, along with fellow Kenyan attorney Gloria Kimani and activist Lynn Ngugi, and is currently awaiting deportation.

Tanzanian authorities have not made any official comments regarding the situation. Lissu, the president of Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, is set to appear in court facing serious treason allegations which he claims are politically motivated. His legal troubles have sparked concern among human rights advocates, particularly as Lissu has previously survived an assassination attempt and has been an outspoken critic against government policies.

Human rights organizations, including the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition, have denounced the detainment as "arbitrary" and lamented that Karua was previously allowed entry into the country to monitor Lissu’s court proceedings in April. This sudden turn of events has raised alarms about the increasing repression of political dissent, particularly ahead of Tanzania’s scheduled presidential and parliamentary elections in October.

Further complicating the political landscape, Lissu's party, Chadema, has been prohibited from contesting the upcoming elections after refusing to adhere to the electoral commission’s controversial code of conduct, which critics argue is designed to suppress opposition. The ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has maintained power since 1977 and is expected to continue doing so as President Samia Suluhu Hassan prepares to become its presidential candidate.

While Hassan’s presidency began with a pledge for increased political freedoms, critics assert that the spirit of repression reminiscent of her predecessor, John Magufuli, is resurfacing. This sentiment echoes the anxieties of human rights advocates as they monitor the evolving political scenario in Tanzania.