Kenya activist gets bail after arrest over illegal possession of ammunition

Boniface Mwangi, a erstwhile photojournalist, was charged implicit alleged relation successful deadly antigovernment protests successful June.

A salient Kenyan quality rights activistic has been freed connected bail aft helium was charged with unlawful possession of ammunition implicit his alleged relation successful deadly antigovernment protests successful June.

Boniface Mwangi was charged by the constabulary connected Monday, 2 days aft helium was arrested and accused of possessing unused teardrop state canisters, a “7.62mm blank round”, 2 mobile phones, a laptop and notebooks.

The courtroom was packed with hundreds of activists, immoderate wearing Kenyan flags. “They person nary evidence,” Mwangi told reporters, describing his prosecution arsenic “a large shame”.

His lawyer told Reuters quality bureau helium was grateful to the tribunal for agreeing to merchandise Mwangi connected bail.

Kenya has been facing wide antigovernment protests crossed the state since past twelvemonth – archetypal against taxation increases successful a concern measure and aboriginal to request the resignation of President William Ruto.

Since the protests broke out, constabulary person been accused of quality rights abuses, including allegations of authorities critics and activists being abducted and tortured.

Rights groups said much than 100 radical person been killed successful the protests, which person been harshly suppressed.

This month, at slightest 31 radical were killed and much than 100 injured successful a authorities crackdown connected a protest. In June, astatine slightest 19 radical were killed successful a akin objection against Ruto.

Police accused Mwangi, a erstwhile photojournalist, of “facilitating violent acts” during the June protests and arrested him connected Saturday. The activistic denied the charges, saying successful a societal media station shared by his supporters: “I americium not a terrorist.”

His apprehension triggered a question of condemnation online with the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi going viral and rights groups condemning it.

The hunt warrant constabulary utilized to raid Mwangi’s home, which an state shared with journalists, accused the campaigner of having paid “goons” to stoke unrest astatine past month’s protests.

However, 37 rights organisations and dozens of activists said they person not yet managed to beryllium that a justice had issued that warrant.

Mwangi’s apprehension connected “unjustified coercion allegations” represents an maltreatment of the justness strategy to crush the opposition, the organisations said successful a associated statement.

“What began arsenic targeted persecution of young protesters demanding accountability has metastasized into a full-scale battle connected Kenya’s democracy,” the groups said.

In June past year, Al Jazeera’s integer documentary strand Close Up profiled Mwangi during a ferocious constabulary crackdown. He past said his nickname online was the “People’s Watchman” due to the fact that helium was striving to get justness for the families of protesters killed by police.

Mwangi, who erstwhile ran for parliament connected an anti-corruption platform, has been arrested aggregate times successful Kenya.

He was arrested connected May 19 this twelvemonth successful Dar-es-Salaam, neighbouring Tanzania’s largest city, wherever helium had travelled to enactment treason-accused Tanzanian absorption person Tundu Lissu.

Both Mwangi and a chap detainee, award-winning Ugandan activistic Agather Atuhaire, accused the Tanzanian constabulary of torturing and sexually abusing them portion they were successful custody.

The brace person brought a lawsuit earlier the East African Court of Justice.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies