Three human rights lawyers who were detained for “promoting homosexuality” and then deported from Tanzania almost four years ago are suing the government. The two South Africans and a Ugandan were part of a group of people detained from 17 to 27 October 2017.
Ahead of their arrest, Sibongile Ndashe, Noah Mirembe and Khanyo Mkhize travelled to Tanzania as members of the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (Isla), a pan-African, feminist organisation that works on women’s human rights and sexual rights.
They were in the country to conduct a workshop with a local organisation on a case to challenge the Ministry of Health’s decision to close drop-in-centres and ban the distribution of lubricants in public health institutions.