Following the sentencing of former Eswatini Members of Parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza to 85 years and Mthandeni Dube to 58 years in prison, with effective sentence terms of 25 years and 18 years respectively due to concurrent sentences, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said:
"Eswatini authorities must immediately quash the unjust and baseless convictions and sentences of the former members of parliament. Their convictions and sentences stem solely from the peaceful exercise of their human rights.
"Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube and end this travesty of justice and blatant attempt to suppress peaceful dissent.
"Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube have been arbitrarily detained since their arrest during pro-democracy protests in 2021. They have been subjected to a prolonged legal process characterized by baseless charges under the Suppression of Terrorism Act and Sedition and Subversive Activities Act. The former members of parliament were prosecuted for calling for political reform in Eswatini.
Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube and end this travesty of justice and blatant attempt to suppress peaceful dissent.Vongai Chikwanda, Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa
"Their ongoing arbitrary detention is part of a growing crackdown on peaceful dissent in Eswatini, where protests for political reforms have been met with the use of excessive force by security forces. Authorities must uphold and ensure the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and fair trial rights guaranteed by the Eswatini Constitution and human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Eswatini is a state party.
"Amnesty International calls on the Eswatini authorities to urgently repeal the Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA), Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (SSA), and the Public Order Act, which have been weaponized to silence opposition and peaceful dissent."
Background
On 15 July 2024, MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube were sentenced to 85 years and 58 years respectively, after being convicted under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008 and the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act of 1938. They were found guilty of allegedly inciting unrest during the pro-democracy protests in June 2021. On 1 June 2023, after almost two years of arbitrary detention, they were convicted of terrorism, sedition and murder.
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Amnesty International continues to monitor the situation closely, advocating for human rights including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in Eswatini, and calling on the authorities to immediately release of all individuals detained solely for peacefully exercising their human rights.
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