Police secretive on where, why activist is held
Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) executive director Anna Henga (left), LHRC staff and relatives of activist Tito Magoti walk out of the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam yesterday, where they had gone to inquire the whereabouts and safety of their colleague. Police confirmed they were holding him but did not disclose where and on what charges. Photo | courtesy
What you need to know:
Mr Magoti was forcefully taken on Friday before police confirmed they were holding him on unspecified charges.
Dar es Salaam. Police have refused to disclose where and on what charges they were holding the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) Public Affairs’ Officer Tito Magoti .
Pressure mounted for authorities to come clean on the matter after confirming holding the activist for interrogation.
Mr Magoti, 26, was forcefully taken by unknown people Friday, around 10am at Mwenge area in Kinondoni District, at the Sam Nujoma and Bagamoyo Roads intersection. He was coming from Kimara, where he lives.
Six men on plainclothes confronted the young lawyer soon after getting off a motorcycle taxi commonly known as bodaboda, handcuffed and bundled him into a milky Toyota Harrier and disappeared with him into a place which has since remained unknown.
After earlier denial of any responsibility, police released a public statement on Friday, admitting to holding Mr Magoti and three other people questioning over unspecified charges. Even with the confirmation, neither Mr Magoti’s family nor LHRC know the police station he is being held. Magoti’s brother, Mr Edwin Magoti, said in a joint press conference with LHRC yesterday that their family has been saddened by the manner the arrest was conducted.
“We think it was not a proper way to enforce the law. We call upon the authorities to inform us of [Magoti’s] whereabouts and what charges he is facing,” he said.
LHRC’s executive director Anna Henga criticised the manner with which her employee was arrested, saying that as employer, she was not even informed of the arrest and was prevented from getting information on the matter.
“To clearing doubt that Tanzania does not respect human rights, we ask the Police Force to say which police station Mr Magoti is being held and the crime that he has committed,” said Henga.
Yesterday, a team of lawyers from LHRC and the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) in search for Mr Magoti but were told he was not there.
The Citizen tried several times yesterday to get comments from the Dar es Salaam police boss Lazaro Mambosasa but to no avail. His phone went unanswered.
Among those who have demanded an immediate release of the activist include the opposition ACT-Wazalendo.
“Why kidnap him and not follow the known procedure of arresting an accused person? Why not allow him to inform his relatives of his arrest? Why contradictory statements from the police?” asked the party’s ideology, publicity and public communications secretary Mr Ado Shaibu in a statement.
An online campaign has since been launched on social media platform Twitter to put pressure on authorities to #FreeTitoMagoti and #BringBackTitoMagoti.
Activists, lawyers, politicians and ordinary citizens have taken it upon themselves to ensure that justice is being served to the young activist.
