Amnesty International is urging Tanzania to free three people who were detained for objecting to a deal the country’s government negotiated with the United Arab Emirates to manage all of its ports.
Over the weekend, authorities detained opposition activists Mdude Nyagali and Boniface Mwabukusi as well as former ambassador and opposition leader Willibrod Slaa.
A court petition was spearheaded by Mr. Mwabukusi, who claimed that the agreement threatened national security, sovereignty, and the constitution. After holding a news conference in Dar es Salaam to criticise the port agreement, Mr. Mwabukusi and Mr. Nyagali were detained.
According to their solicitors, all three men have been denied bail and were informed they would be prosecuted with treason, a crime that carries a mandatory death sentence. The accusations have received no public comments from the authorities.
Amnesty International has called on the authorities to “immediately and unconditionally release these activists,” saying that “the authorities must stop arbitrarily detaining activists simply for peacefully expressing their views.”