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Ugandan human rights activist Agather Atuhaire remains missing despite earlier reports that she was deported from Tanzania.
Online campaigns have begun demanding her release.
Atuhaire was taken alongside Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi. Both were reportedly held at the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
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The two were arrested earlier this week under unclear circumstances while attending the trial of Tanzanian opposition politician Tundu Lissu. Mwangi faced threats of a three-year prison sentence on immigration charges after refusing to leave his hotel room during a 2:00 a.m. raid by armed officers.
Although reports on Tuesday said the activists had been released, civil society groups say they have not confirmed their safe return or departure from Tanzania.
On Wednesday morning, Agora, a Kampala-based civil liberties group led by Atuhaire, voiced concern over their continued disappearance.
“As of this morning, our colleagues @AAgather and @bonifacemwangi are still missing. We continue demanding their immediate release by @SuluhuSamia as they were last seen in Tanzania,” the statement said.
Activists in Uganda report that all communication with Atuhaire and Mwangi has stopped.
“There is no official information from Tanzanian authorities about their whereabouts. They have not boarded any flight and cannot be reached in any way,” said activist Spire Ssentongo.
This incident has raised fresh concerns about Tanzania’s treatment of critics and the shrinking space for civic freedoms under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government.
The arrests came amid the ongoing trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces sedition charges for publicly criticising the government. His legal team has challenged the heavy security at court and the state’s attempts to hold parts of the trial virtually.
As regional interest and the presence of foreign observers increased, President Samia warned against what she called “foreign interference” in Tanzania’s affairs.
“We shall not allow outsiders to meddle in the governance of our country,” she said, a message widely seen as directed at regional and international civil society.
Just days before, Kenyan opposition leader Martha Karua and two lawyers were refused entry into Tanzania. They had travelled to attend events linked to the East Africa Law Society, which is closely monitoring the Lissu trial.
Human rights and legal groups across East Africa are calling for urgent diplomatic action and accountability. They warn Tanzania’s actions breach East African Community (EAC) protocols on free movement and the right to civic participation.