Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan human rights defender who had been missing for several days, has been found alive after reportedly being held incommunicado in Tanzania.
She was discovered late Thursday night at the Mutukula border crossing, in visibly poor physical condition and without any formal documentation of deportation.
Atuhaire was arrested earlier this week in Dar es Salaam while attending a court session involving Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu. She had been detained alongside Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, who was subsequently deported and dropped at the Kenya-Tanzania border earlier in the week.
According to sources close to her, Atuhaire is suffering from significant swelling in her legs, injuries believed to have been caused by beatings during her detention.
Despite numerous inquiries from Uganda’s High Commission in Dar es Salaam and mounting pressure from regional actors, Tanzanian authorities had refused to reveal her whereabouts, raising serious concerns about her safety and well-being.
The manner of her detention, the lack of due process, and the reported abuse have drawn widespread condemnation from civil society organizations, press freedom advocates, and diplomatic circles across East Africa.
Many are now demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her arrest and treatment while in custody.
