(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, on 16 April 1998, Kiondo Mshana, editor of “Taifa Letu”, a Kiswahili newspaper, was detained by Tanzanian police. The police wanted him to reveal the identity of the author of a story which appeared in “Taifa Letu”, and which quoted a detained Islamic leader. The front page story, which appeared […]
(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, on 16 April 1998, Kiondo Mshana, editor of
“Taifa Letu”, a Kiswahili newspaper, was detained by Tanzanian police. The
police wanted him to reveal the identity of the author of a story which
appeared in “Taifa Letu”, and which quoted a detained Islamic leader. The
front page story, which appeared in the 8-14 April 1998 edition, carried a
report from the Keko prison quoting Sheikh Magezi as saying he did not
recognize the board of trustees of the Mwembechai Mosque he leads.
Police detectives summoned Mshana to their office in Dar es Salaam in the
morning of 16 April 1998. According to Mshana, police wanted him to name the
reporter who wrote the story, and demanded to know how the reporter managed
to interview a detainee under the custody of Tanzanian security forces.
Mshana told MISA-Tanzania that he refused to answer the police because doing
so would compromise professional ethics.
Mshana was released on police bond but has been told to report to the police
for regular checks and possible interrogation.
Background Information
Mshana’s detention is the third detention of a newspaper editor in a
five-day period:
On 11 April 1998, Tanzanian police briefly detained and interrogated
Balinagwe Mwambungu, the managing editor of “Mfanyakazi” newspaper, in
connection with a critical story he published about the ruling Chama Cha
Mapinduzi party. He was interrogated for three hours and twenty minutes
before being released later in the day on a police bond (for more
information on this case see IFEX alert of 20 April 1998).
On 15 April 1998, Tanzanian police detained journalist Peter Saramba, a
reporter with the “Majira” newspaper, over reports that police were forcing
civilians to join them in the search for bodies of miners feared dead in a
recent disaster there. Saramba was detained at Usa River Police Station in
Arusha on orders of Tanzania’s Inspector General of Police. Saramba was
interrogated for five hours. Police recorded personal details about him
before he was released with instructions that he should report to the police
station on 16 April 1998 (for more information on this case see IFEX alert
of 20 April 1998).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
enshrined in the Constitution of Tanzania
Tanzania and should not be usurped by blatant abuse, as demonstrated by
Tanzanian police
rights instruments, including the Windhoek Declaration on the Promotion of
an Independent and Pluralistic African press – which promotes a press
independent from political, governmental and religious control
disregard of the principle of freedom of the press
Appeals To
The Honourable Minister of Information
The Minister Responsible for Information and Media
Rt. Hon. Kingunge Ngomare-Mwiru
Office of the Prime Minister
Dar es Salaam
Tanzania
Tel: +2555 1 117249 or 117250/1/2/3/4/5/6 or 117269
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
