Kenyan pro-democracy activist Boniface Mwangi is charged with alleged possession of ammunition
The charge sheet said the suspect possessed three canisters of tear gas without lawful authorization. His attorney, Njanja Maina, told reporters on Sunday that Mwangi never possessed such items. Mwangi's wife, Njeri, in a post on the social media platform X, said on Saturday that security personnel raided their home and took the activist and his electronic gadgets while talking of terrorism and arson.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission said the ammunition charge was a trumped-up accusation. 'This pattern of inventing charges to harass and silence activists like Mwangi erodes public confidence in the independence of the justice system,' the civic group said. Mwangi is a well-known pro-democracy activist in Kenya. On X, where he has 2 million followers, he describes himself as 'The People's Watchman.' Protesters who have rocked President William Ruto's administration say they want to rid his government of corruption marked by theft of public resources and the seemingly extravagant lifestyles of politicians. They also say that Ruto, in power since 2022, has broken his own promises to working-class Kenyans.
The protests started in mid-2024 when Ruto proposed aggressive new tax measures opposed by many Kenyans.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Ivorian jailed for saying president should not have been born
Tokpa Flan Japhet, a 43-year-old nurse, 'was tried and sentenced on July 18 to 36 months in prison'Japhet had in a Facebook post said if Ouattara's mother had 'had an abortion' she 'would have saved Africa'ABIDJIAN: Ivory Coast has sentenced a nurse to three years in jail for saying Africa would have been saved if President Alassane Ouattara had not been sentence comes months before the west African country's presidential election at the end of October, with the opposition accusing Ouattara's government of attempting to stifle dissent in the youth leaders from the main opposition Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) have been arrested since June over a social media post calling for mobilization against the party leader Tidjane Thiam is among several prominent opposition figures to have been excluded from the October 25 Flan Japhet, a 43-year-old nurse, 'was tried and sentenced on July 18 to 36 months in prison' and fined $8,500 'despite his request for a pardon,' Abidjan's public prosecutor Oumar Braman Kone said in a statement on had in a Facebook post said if Ouattara's mother had 'had an abortion' she 'would have saved Africa.''Neither repentance... nor a request for forgiveness has any effect on the reality of the offenses,' Kone man, Moussa Diakate, was arrested after posting a video in which he 'made death threats against supporters of a political group,' the prosecutor Coast, a former beacon of stability in troubled west Africa, has repeatedly experienced violence during elections after the country's first coup in late 2010 and early 2011, poll-related violence claimed some 3,000 lives after then-president Laurent Gbagbo refused to recognize Ouattara's election 83, has not confirmed whether he will run for a fourth term, although he has been tapped by his party to do so.
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Punjab opposition leader, two federal PTI lawmakers sentenced to 10 years over May 9 riots
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Sargodha on Tuesday handed down 10-year prison sentences to Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bachar, federal lawmakers Ahmed Chattha and Bilal Ejaz along with a group of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in connection with violent protests that erupted across the country on May 9, 2023. The unrest followed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan by paramilitary forces in Islamabad, which triggered protests in different parts of the country. Demonstrators stormed military installations and government buildings, prompting a sweeping state crackdown. Thousands of PTI members and supporters were arrested, dozens were charged under anti-terrorism laws and some were tried in military courts. The protests also led to a wave of high-profile defections from the party, as many leaders publicly distanced themselves from the events under apparent pressure. 'Yes, it's true' Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide of Imran Khan and former federal minister, said in a statement. 'The ATC judge announced 10 years sentence for opposition leader Punjab assembly and two others. MNAs Ahmed Chatha and Bilal Ejaz's names weren't even in supplementary documents but the judge sentenced them anyway.' The development comes as PTI faces mounting pressure across political and judicial fronts. In the Punjab Assembly, tensions have flared in recent weeks, with Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan suspending 26 opposition lawmakers in recent weeks over disorder during the provincial budget speech. The speaker also suggested some members could face disqualification, citing repeated violations of constitutional decorum. Khan, the PTI founder and former Pakistan premier, remains imprisoned on a range of charges he says are fabricated. The party's legal standing was further weakened after a Supreme Court ruling last month upheld a decision stripping PTI of its claim to reserved seats for women and minorities, significantly limiting its representation in legislatures. While the PTI questioned the court's decision, the government said the due process of law was upheld and there was no miscarriage of justice. Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said the court had listened to all the witnesses and recorded their statements. Subsequently, they were also cross-examined. 'Both sides gave their closing statements and today the verdict that was announced is according to the constitution and law,' he added.
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Syria identifies 298 suspects in Alawite heartland killings
DAMASCUS: A Syrian committee investigating sectarian violence in the country's Alawite heartland said Tuesday it identified 298 suspects implicated in serious violations that left at least 1,426 Alawites dead in March. The violence unfolded over three days in early March on Syria's predominantly Alawite coast, where government forces and allied groups were accused of carrying out summary executions, mostly targeting Alawite civilians. 'The committee identified 298 individuals by name, who were involved,' spokesman Yasser Al-Farhan told a press conference in Damascus, describing the figure as provisional. He said two lists of suspects had been referred to the judiciary. The committee documented 'serious violations against civilians on March 7, 8 and 9, including murder, premeditated murder, looting, destruction and burning of homes, torture and sectarian insults.' It confirmed the names of 1,426 dead, including 90 women, with most of the rest being civilians from the Alawite community. Authorities have accused gunmen loyal to former president Bashar Assad, an Alawite, of instigating the violence, launching deadly attacks that killed dozens of security forces personnel. Damascus sent military reinforcements to the region after the attacks. The committee said 238 army and security force personnel were killed in the attacks in the provinces of Tartus, Latakia and Hama. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor reported the deaths of more than 1,700 people, mostly Alawite civilians. According to human rights and international organizations, entire families were killed in the violence including women, children, and the elderly. Gunmen stormed homes and asked their residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before killing or sparing them, they said. Amnesty International has urged Syria to publish the full results of the investigation and ensure those responsible are held accountable. On Sunday, the presidency said Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa had received the committee's report on July 13, the same day sectarian violence erupted in the Druze heartland of Sweida, killing more than 1,200 people according to the Observatory. The bouts of violence have raised questions over the authorities' ability to manage sectarian tensions and maintain security, more than seven months after Islamists overthrew Assad, who long presented himself as a protector of minorities.
