Prominent Ugandan lawyer and human rights activist Agather Atuhaire, director of the Agora Centre for Research, was found alive this morning at the Uganda-Tanzania border, days after being held by Tanzanian officials. Her organisation confirmed her release, stating she was “abandoned at the border by Tanzanian authorities.”

Atuhaire’s discovery brings a close to days of anxiety and calls for her release following her arrest alongside other activists who had travelled to Tanzania to observe the trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

In a statement released this morning, Agora Centre for Research expressed profound relief: “We are relieved to inform the public that she has been found. She was abandoned at the border by Tanzanian authorities. Further details will be shared later today. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who stood in solidarity during this time. Your efforts truly made a difference.”

The relief, however, is tempered by disturbing allegations of torture. Kenyan human rights activist Boniface Mwangi, who was arrested with Atuhaire, revealed harrowing details of their ordeal in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter).

Mwangi alleged that he and Atuhaire were subjected to brutal torture by Tanzanian security forces. “The last time I was in the same space with @AAgather was Tuesday morning. We had been tortured, and we were told to strip naked and to go bathe. We couldn’t walk and were told to crawl and go wash off the blood,” Mwangi wrote. He described being handcuffed and blindfolded, hearing Atuhaire “groaning in pain” as orders were barked at them. Any attempt to communicate was met with “kicks and insults.”

According to Mwangi, their torturers were acting on orders from a “state security” employee who followed them from immigration offices to the Central Police Station. This individual allegedly ordered them to be taken to a “secret location to be given a ‘Tanzanian treatment'” and assaulted Mwangi in the presence of three lawyers from the Tanganyika Law Society.

Mwangi described the alleged assailant as “a man of average height, had short hair with waves and light brown skin, and was overweight; he had a sagging potbelly. On that day, he was wearing a black suit, black shoes, a white shirt and no tie.” One of the lawyers reportedly identified him as state security, reporting directly to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Agather Atuhaire is a highly respected figure in Uganda and internationally, recognised for her unwavering commitment to social justice. As a lawyer, journalist, and social justice activist, she has tirelessly advocated for civic engagement, reforms, and policy changes in Uganda, particularly on issues of corruption, human rights, and good governance. In 2024, her impactful work was recognised with the prestigious International Women of Courage Award by the U.S. Department of State.

Further details regarding Atuhaire’s condition and the circumstances surrounding her detention and release are expected to be shared by the Agora Centre for Research later today, as calls for an independent investigation into the alleged torture intensify.