Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and PLP Party leader Martha Karua have taken Tanzania to the East African Court of Justice over their illegal detention and Deportation last month.
They have moved to court alongside activists and human rights defenders, Gloria Kimani,Lynn Ngugi,Hussein Khalid and Hanifa Adan who were also deported from Tanzania.
They also want a court order restraining Tanzania from further infringements on the free movement of East African citizens.
They claim that their rights as East African citizens were blatantly violated when they were blocked from entering Tanzania to observe the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
They want the court to order Tanzania to issue a public apology as well as grant them general and special damages for the mental anguish, reputational harm, and travel costs they incurred during the ordeal.
The activists claim that on May 18 and 19, 2025, they were detained without explanation at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
They also had their passports confiscated, and were subsequently deported back to Kenya and were only in Tanzania as part of an international observer mission, intending to attend and monitor Lissu’s trial, scheduled to begin on May 19.
They have accused Tanzania of violating multiple provisions of the East African Community (EAC) Treaty, including those guaranteeing the rule of law, good governance, transparency, and the right to free movement across member states.
It is their further argument that their exclusion undermined civic participation and infringed upon the principle of open justice, as they were denied the opportunity to observe public legal proceedings of regional significance.
The case is expected to be transferred to the EAC in Arusha where date is expected to be set by the Court in the coming weeks for directions.
