Tanzania has deported three South African
lawyers after they were accused of promoting homosexuality. They
were among 13 people arrested on 17 October for taking part in a meeting to
discuss challenging a law stopping private health clinics from providing HIV
and Aids services.
However, Sibongile Ndashe says they had no right to do so,
and has accused authorities in Dar es Salaam of holding her and her colleagues
"hostage".
Homosexuality is a crime in Tanzania.
Lazaro Mambosasa, chief of Dar es Salaam police, told reporters
after the lawyers initial arrests that "they were promoting
homosexuality".
The arrests followed a September speech by Deputy Health
Minister Hamisi Kingwangalla, who vowed in front of parliament to "fight
with all our strength against groups supporting homosexuality in our
country," AFP news agency reports.
But Ms Ndashe, who was deported along with two colleagues
from South Africa's Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) on
Friday, told a press conference there was no crime they could be charged with, as
the meeting was not about homosexuality.
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