Vava, who is
the director for Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, arrived at Julius Nyerere
International Airport on a “solidarity mission” to engage with civil society
groups and social movements as the East African nation prepared to go to the
polls, held yesterday.
These groups
were reportedly facing repression under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s
government in the lead-up to the country's contentious elections.
Polls opened
for presidential and parliamentary elections without the leading opposition
party, as the government of Hassan has been cracking down on dissent ahead of
the vote.
According to a
statement from the coalition, Vava’s passport was confiscated immediately upon
arrival.
He was then
subjected to hours of interrogation before being informed that he was “not welcome”
in Tanzania.
He was
subsequently held overnight in a cell at the airport, which the coalition said
was without adequate provisions, including blankets, before his deportation
yesterday.
The coalition
condemned the deportation, describing the incident as “barbaric and
unfortunate”.
“The human
rights defender was then taken to a holding cell within the parameters of the
airport, where he spent a night in detention without any blankets,” the
Coalition said in a statement.
“We condemn
this barbaric and unfortunate act which in our view is an affront to human
rights and the dignity of the African child and goes against the values of
Ubuntu and Pan Africanism as envisioned by the late icon Julius Kambarage
Nyerere.
“We are
disturbed by the continued harassment and deportation of human rights
defenders, and in particular election observers whose work is not criminal, but
to promote human rights, good governance and democracy.”
Tanzanian
authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Newsday
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