Tanzanian politician's lawyers ask UN to declare his detention arbitrary
NAIROBI, May 30 (Reuters) - Lawyers for Tanzania's jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu filed a complaint on Friday to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in a bid to ramp up international pressure for his release.
Lissu, chairman of Tanzania's main opposition party and runner-up in the 2020 presidential election, was arrested last month and charged with treason, a capital offence, over comments he is alleged to have made calling on supporters to prevent national elections in October from going ahead.
Tanzania's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While President Samia Suluhu Hassan has won plaudits for easing political repression, she has faced questions about unexplained abductions of government critics in recent months.
Hassan, who will stand for re-election in October, has said her government respects human rights and ordered an investigation into the reported abductions.
Lissu's international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, said the confidential complaint to the U.N. working group, which issues opinions but has no enforcement power, was part of a wider pressure campaign.
The European Parliament this month adopted a resolution denouncing Lissu's arrest as politically motivated, and Amsterdam said he would petition the U.S. State Department to impose sanctions.
"Right down to prosecutors, judges, police - all the people that are involved in this false show trial had better be aware that they should protect their U.S. assets," Amsterdam told Reuters.
In response to the European Parliament resolution, Tanzania's foreign ministry said outside criticisms about the case were based on "incomplete or partisan information".
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lissu, who was shot 16 times in a 2017 attack for which no one has ever been charged, will appear in court on Monday.
Before he appeared in court last week, authorities detained a Kenyan and a Ugandan rights activist who had come to attend the hearing.
They were abandoned several days later near the borders of their home countries, and the Kenyan activist, Boniface Mwangi, said both were badly tortured while in custody.
Tanzanian officials have not responded to requests for comment about the allegation. Hassan has warned outsiders against "invading and interfering in our affairs".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
18 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Diddy can still come out of trial a ‘winner' even if found guilty & despite damning trial abuse allegations, lawyer says
The trial has heard weeks of gut-wrenching testimony from various witnesses, including musical artists Cassie and Kid Cudi LESSER CHARGE Diddy can still come out of trial a 'winner' even if found guilty & despite damning trial abuse allegations, lawyer says SEAN "Diddy" Combs can still come out of his federal trial as a winner if he's not convicted on all charges, despite the scandalous evidence and testimony from witnesses, according to an attorney. Week three of Combs' federal trial has wrapped up as more witnesses, including another former assistant, continued to testify about the violence the music executive, 55, inflicted behind closed doors. Advertisement 10 A sketch image of Sean 'Diddy' Combs speaking with his legal team on May 27 before court begins for the day Credit: Reuters 10 Cassandra 'Cassie' Ventura and Sean Combs attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala in New York City in May 2018 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 10 Combs pictured at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in May 2022 Credit: Getty Images 10 Combs listens as his former girlfriend Ventura testifies at his sex trafficking trial on May 14 Credit: Reuters The testimonies dived into the prosecution's accusations that the hitmaker, with the help of an inner circle of close confidants, used his far-reaching power and intimidation to cover up his alleged crimes and protect his public image. However, Combs' defense team has argued that the alleged victims all engaged in consensual sexual acts and remained by his side for years because of his lavish lifestyle and career advancements. Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the trial, said even if the music mogul is convicted of some crimes but not all, he will come out as a winner. "Diddy's defense is that these individuals engaged in these sex acts willingly," Rahmani told The U.S. Sun. Advertisement "There was no force. There was no coercion. They chose to do drugs. They weren't drugged. "And the fact that they may have been paid may be unlawful under the prostitution charges, but to the extent that the defense gets guilty verdicts on prostitution only, and not guilties on racketeering and sex trafficking, that would be a huge win for Diddy in the defense." WEEK THREE For the second day, the courtroom heard on Friday gut-wrenching testimony from Combs' former assistant, referred to only as Mia, about the total control he held over her. Mia, who worked for Combs for eight years in various capacities starting in 2009, testified how he made her work grueling hours and violently attacked her. Advertisement The former assistant, one of Combs' many ex-employees who have taken the stand, broke down in tears as she told the jury about the multiple times he allegedly raped her. Mia admitted in her testimony that she never disclosed the alleged sexual assaults to anyone, saying, "I was going to die with this." Diddy trial descends into CHAOS as his lawyers explode and demand case be thrown OUT The emotional victim recalled Combs' spurts of violence towards her and Ventura, telling jurors about the times he allegedly threw a computer and his bowl of spaghetti at her head. "I wondered, what did I do to make him like this to me?" Mia testified. Advertisement The jury heard from Scott Mescudi, better known as rapper Kid Cudi, during the trial's second week. Mescudi testified about his brief relationship with Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura in late 2011, and told the court about when Combs flew into a jealous rage over the relationship. 10 Sean Combs makes a heart gesture as he enters the courtroom on May 28 Credit: Reuters 10 Prosecutor Madison Smyser questions Combs' former assistant and government witness 'Mia' on May 29 Credit: Reuters Advertisement 10 Scott Mescudi, better known as rapper Kid Cudi, leaves the US District Courthouse after testifying at Combs' trial on May 22 Credit: AP:Associated Press 10 A photo of the damage Mescudi's Porsche sustained from a Molotov cocktail bombing Credit: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York The Mr. Rager rapper, 41, accused Combs of breaking into his house, messing with his dog and locking his pet in the bathroom. Mescudi's testimony was dominated by the January 2012 incident when his Porsche was blown up on his driveway by a Molotov cocktail, which he accused Combs of being responsible for. Advertisement The jurors were shown pictures of Mescudi's charred sports car with the cut-up roof where the explosive was thrown. The trial opened up with powerful testimony from Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend of over a decade. The singer, 38, emotionally spoke about how Combs forced her to participate in weekly drug-fueled sex marathons, which he called "freak-offs," with male escorts. Ventura, who said she did not want to engage in the sex acts, told the court her music career took a backseat due to the toll the "freak-offs" took on her day, testifying how she needed days at a time to recover. Advertisement Prosecutors also released photos of the injuries Ventura allegedly suffered from Combs' years-long abuse, including a gash on her forehead that had become a permanent scar. Dawn Richard, a singer who once competed in Combs' reality show Making the Band, also testified how she witnessed the music executive's abuse of Ventura. Richard, who was signed to Bad Boy Records and part of the trio Diddy – Dirty Money, described how Combs hit Ventura "on the head and beat her on the ground" during a visit to his home recording studio in 2019. Combs' trial is expected to continue until the first week of July, with the prosecution's case slated to rest the week of June 9. Advertisement Diddy's charges explained by a lawyer Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained the set of charges Diddy is facing to The U.S. Sun: "Diddy is facing three charges, or three sets of charges. "The first is racketeering, which you typically see with organized crime enterprises - so the mob, cartels, street gangs -but we're seeing it a lot more in sex trafficking cases. "And you don't need an organization like the mob, as long as it's an enterprise, which is something that consists of two or more people, and they engage in two or more RICO predicate acts, that's enough for racketeering. "Racketeering is a powerful charge because it allows the government to bring in all sorts of evidence of criminal activity, as well as all sorts of people, into that racketeering conspiracy. "And anyone who's a co-conspirator, they're on the hook for any criminal acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy. "The most serious charge, though, is sex trafficking. "What separates sex trafficking from normal sex? Adults, of course, can consent to any type of sex, no matter how freaky it is. But sex trafficking has one of three elements: force, fraud, or coercion. "And the government is saying that Diddy used force to force these men and women to participate in these freak-offs, and he coerced them by drugging them. "The least serious charge is the prostitution, sometimes called the Man Act, and that's engaging in prostitution using some sort of interstate commerce across state lines. That obviously is unlawful. "Typically, you don't see federal cases for prostitution only, which is why it's the least serious of the crimes." 10 Combs intensely watches as his former assistant 'Mia' testifies at his trial on May 29 Credit: Reuters
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Seven killed, 30 hurt after bridge collapse causes train derailment
Two children were among those hospitalized, one of them in serious condition, Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the Bryansk region, said on Telegram. Among those killed was the locomotive driver, Russia's state news agencies reported, citing medics. More: 'Very disappointed': Trump continues to criticize Putin's war tactics during negotiations Russia's ministry of emergency situations said on Telegram that its main efforts were aimed at finding and rescuing victims, and that some 180 personnel were involved in the operation. Russia's Baza Telegram channel, which often publishes information from sources in the security services and law enforcement, reported, without providing evidence, that according to preliminary information, the bridge was blown up. Reuters could not independently verify the Baza report. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Since the start of the war that Russia launched more than three years ago, there have been continued cross-border shelling, drone strikes, and covert raids from Ukraine into the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions that border Ukraine. The train was going from the town of Klimovo to Moscow, Russian Railways said. It collided with the collapsed bridge in the area of a federal highway in the Vygonichskyi district of the Bryansk region, Bogomaz said. The district lies some 62 miles from the border with Ukraine. More: US and Russia clash over intensifying Ukraine war U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a deal to end the war, and Russia has proposed a second round of face-to-face talks with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul. Ukraine is yet to commit to attending the talks on Monday, saying it first needed to see Russian proposals, while a leading U.S. senator warned Moscow it would be "hit hard" by new U.S. sanctions. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Gen Z gender divide and the reshaping of democracy
Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app. From South Korea to Germany to the United States, young men are increasingly turning to right-wing politics while their female peers lean left. On this special episode of Reuters World News, Global Managing Editor, Politics, Economics and World News Mark Bendeich joins us to look at the economic reality facing Gen Z men and women around the world - and the different futures they are voting for at the ballot box. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit to opt out of targeted advertising. Further Reading How a Gen Z gender divide is reshaping democracy 'Next time we'll come first': German far-right celebrates breakthrough Canada's Liberals ride Trump backlash to comeback election win South Koreans turn out in record numbers for early voting as presidential hopefuls vow change
