We at the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) are deeply alarmed by reports of the abduction, incommunicado detention, and torture of our esteemed advisory board member, Ms. Agather Atuhaire, during her recent visit to Tanzania.
Ms. Atuhaire was arrested alongside Kenyan anti-corruption campaigner Boniface Mwangi while attending a court hearing for Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Both activists were reportedly held without communication and subjected to torture. On May 22, Ms. Atuhaire was found abandoned near the Tanzania-Uganda border with visible injuries.
A respected Ugandan journalist, lawyer, and human rights advocate, Ms. Atuhaire has spent her career advancing social justice and accountability through investigative reporting and digital activism. She is the 2023 laureate of the EU Human Rights Defenders Award, the 2024 recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s International Women of Courage Award, and was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 emerging global leaders shaping the future. Her work has exposed high-level corruption and systemic rights abuses. She is also the host of Agora Discourse, a digital platform promoting public dialogue on governance and civic rights.
We stand in unwavering solidarity with Ms. Atuhaire and all those who risk their safety to advocate for truth, justice, and human dignity. We call on Tanzanian authorities to immediately investigate this grave violation, uphold their international human rights obligations, and ensure accountability for those responsible. The safety and freedom of all human rights defenders must be protected without exception.