U.S, U.K. Fault Tanzania’s Human-Rights Record After Arrest of Journalist
U.S, U.K Fault Tanzania Rights Record After Arrest of Journalist
(Bloomberg) -- The U.S and U.K condemned Tanzania for the deteriorating human rights situation in east Africa’s second-largest economy after claims a journalist was held without due process.
Investigative journalist, Eric Kabendera, remains in custody after he was charged with taking part in organized crime among other counts on Monday, Dar es Salaam-based Citizen newspaper reported. The charges are not bailable, it said.
We are “deeply concerned about the steady erosion of due process in Tanzania, as evidenced by the ever more frequent resort to lengthy pre-trial detentions and shifting charges by its justice system,” the two countries said in a statement. The arrest, detention and indictment of Kabendera were irregular, and he was initially denied access to a lawyer, according to the statement.
Kabendera’s case is the latest of several incidents where President John Magufuli’s administration has been called out for suppressing rights and curbing freedoms. Last month, the government said it didn’t know if Azory Gwanda, a journalist who went missing in November 2017, is still alive. Foreign donors provided a fraction of the budget support they’d pledged for 2018-19, saying the human rights situation was worsening.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ken Karuri in Dar es Salaam at kkaruri@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Alastair Reed
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