Ten men were arrested for allegedly holding a same-sex marriage ceremony on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania and were forced to undergo anal examinations, according to activists who spoke to The Guardian.
The United Nations Committee Against Torture said those examinations "have no medical justification" and campaigners say they violate international law and are intended to humiliate and hurt the targets of the investigation.
The men were arrested on Saturday night at Pongwe Beach resort after Paul Makonda, regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam, told citizens to report any homosexuals to law enforcement.
Makonda said he put together a team of police and officials to target gay people for their behavior, with many facing lengthy prison sentences.
The national Tanzanian authorities issued a statement on Sunday which did not condemn the crackdown, but said it did not condone Makonda's decision.
“The government of the United Republic of Tanzania would like to clarify that these are [Makonda’s] personal views and not the position of the government,” the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.
The statement also said the national government would "continue to respect all international human rights conventions which it subscribes to."
Amnesty International said the men arrested this week were suspected of conducting a gay marriage since police found them sitting "two by two."
“It is mind-boggling that the mere act of sitting in a pair can assume criminal proportions. The police clearly have no grounds to file charges against these men in court, despite arresting them three days ago,” said Seif Magango, Amnesty International’s deputy director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.
One local activist said the anti-gay rhetoric had been building in recent years but after the national government released a statement it had become "more calm."
But other activists said the attacks targeting LGBT people were continuing.
Sixty-five civil rights groups signed an open letter which said since John Magufuli became president in 2015, Tanzania had experienced a large decline in respect for human rights, including the rights to freedom of association, expression, and peaceful assembly.
Two opposition politicians were sentenced to five months in prison this year for insulting the president, with another opposition leader charged last week with sedition and inciting hatred after he said dozens died in clashes between security forces and herders in his district.
Authorities dismissed his statements.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said two of their journalists were detained earlier this week but were released on Thursday.
Angela Quintal, Africa program coordinator at the CPJ, and Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa representative, were both held overnight by police in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania banned non-governmental organizations from giving out free lube and condoms to homosexuals in part of an outreach campaign to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Health experts said shutting down the program actually increased the risk of infection for a wider population.
-WN.com, Maureen Foody
Photo:
AP / Francisco Seco
