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PETITION FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATH OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND LAWYER MASEKO THULANI


We, members of the African Human Rights Community, express our pain and outrage at the brazen murder of renowned human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko who was gunned down at point blank range, in front of his wife and children at his home in Luhleko, Mbabane, on the evening of January 21, 2023. This atrocious and cold blooded act came a few hours after King Mswati had issued ‘stern warnings’ to those calling for democratic reforms in the country, and that his hired mercenaries would deal with them.
At the time of his death, Thulani was a practicing lawyer, a senior member of Lawyers for Human Rights Swaziland, and chairperson of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum, a convergence of various stakeholders calling for constitutional reforms in Eswatini. Thulani was one of the founding members of the Southern Africa Defenders Human Rights Network (SouthernDefenders). He contributed immensely to the promotion of justice and human rights not only in Eswatini but the Southern-African region.
We are deeply concerned that the killing of Thulani is a deliberate targeting and silencing of lawyer and human rights defender in direct retaliation for his work, as vocal advocates for respect for human rights and proponents of democratic reforms in Eswatini.


Since May 2021,the Kingdom of ESWATINI, one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarch, has been rocked by nationwide protests in demand of democratic reforms, and an end to the excessive opulence of the Monarch in the face of one of the region’s poorest economies. In response, the government of Eswatini, led by King Mswati III, has responded with excessive force against protesters, arbitrary arrests and detention, the shutdown of the internet and blanket bans on protests. More than 80 people have been killed, 200 plus injured, and thousands of others arrested and detained. Currently, two Members of Parliament have been arbitrarily detained for 18 months, facing criminal prosecution under the Suppression of Terrorism Act in relation to the protests. Lawyers and judges are being harassed, threatened and intimidated for their real or suspected support of the ongoing pro-democracy movement. Just last month, a human rights lawyer who narrowly escaped death after gunshots were fired at his car, was forced into exile like many others fearing for their lives have recently done.


As a human rights lawyer, Thulani worked tirelessly to advance democracy, rule of law and good governance in Eswatini. Thulani fought against the undermining of the independence of the Swazi judiciary, and the weaponization of the law and courts to restrict civic space, and crack down on legitimate opponents of the Mswati monarchy and its enablers. In 2014, he was arbitrarily arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in prison, following the publication of opinion articles denouncing the lack of judicial independence. During his detention he was subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment, including being placed in solitary confinement as deliberate punishment for his publications which he continued from prison.
Throughout his life, Thulani remained steadfast in the fight for freedom and justice for the people of Eswatini. Many will attest that he persistently preached the message of peace and love. He spoke courageously against the injustices suffered by the people of Eswatini and paid the ultimate price with his life in this gruesome and callous murder.


We pay our respect to his memory, reassert our support for and uncompromising solidarity with people of Eswatini and wish to express our heartfelt condolences to his wife Tanele, their children, the Maseko family, and the human rights community in Eswatini, and Southern Africa. His courage and unwavering commitment to the principles of freedom, democracy, accountability and justice is a legacy that will endure and motivate the human rights community to continue to support these ideals for the people of Eswatini.
We urge the Eswatini government to:

  1. Immediately allow for an internationally supported panel that will conduct thorough, independent and expeditious investigation into the circumstances of the killing of Thulani Maseko.
  2. Release all political prisoners and refrain from the excessive use of force to disperse protestors and from the routine arbitrary arrests and killing of peaceful protestors and those expressing opposing views.
  3. Immediately revoke the contracts and halt the policy and practice of the hiring of Private Military Companies to ‘engage’ protestors and pro-democracy activists, deeming them terrorists, and thus, ‘legitimate targets’ for elimination.
  4. Immediately end the violent rhetoric against pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders.

Endorsed by the following civil society organizations:

Name of OrganisationCountry
Raise The Young FoundationGambia
John I GEthiopia
Human Rights Institute of South AfricaSouth Africa
Action for Socio-political and Economic ChangeNigeria
Robert F Kennedy Human RightsUnited States
Tanzania Human Rights Defenders CoalitionTanzania
Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations(CEHRO)Ethiopia
NGO COALITION ON CHILD RIGHTSMalawi
Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE)United Kingdom
The West African Institute for Legal Aid (WAILA)The Gambia
IndependentSouth Africa
GloriaKenya
The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA)South Sudan
The Law Office of Dr Curtis FJ DoebblerUnited States
Réseau des Organisations de la Société Civile pour l’Observation et le Suivi des Élections en Guinée – ROSEGuinée
Sudan Human Rights Defenders Coalition (SudanDefenders)Sudan
Club Humanitaire sans FrontièresRépublique de Guinée
Defenders CoalitionKenya
CaprecSenegal
Article 19Sénégal
Nyasa Rainbow AllianceMalawi
Association Mauritanienne pour la Promotion des droits de l’homme AMPDHMauritanie
Reseau Nigerien des Defenseurs des Droits Humains (RNDDH)Niger
Light For AllUganda
Sexual Minorities UgandaUganda
ROADDH/WAHRDNTogo covering West Africa
FIDA CameroonCameroon
Defenders CoalitionKenya
CISMAT-SLSierra Leone
United States International University-AfricaKenya
Centre d’information et de documentation citoyennes (Cidoc)Burkina Faso
Economic  Justice Network Sierra LeoneaSierra Leone
Southern Africa Litigation CentreBotswana
Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement (CEFSAN)Nigeria
DefendDefendersUganda
FAMEDEV-Inter Africa Network for Women, Media, Gender and Development/Le Réseau Inter Africain Des Femmes, Médias, Genre et Développementt.Senegal
Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA)South Africa
Southern Africa Litigation CentreSouth Africa
Forum des alternatives  sudmaroc
DULLAH OMAR INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPESouth Africa
HRAPFUganda
Ebou SohnaUnited Kingdom
Center for Constitutional GovernanceUganda
Leadership initiative network for the Advancement of Women and YouthThe Gambia
Net Impact-The GambiaGambia
The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting The Health of Women and ChildrenGambia
Women Human Rights  Defenders HubKenya
Seinoli Legal CentreLesotho
Lúcia da SilveiraAngola
KUTAKESAAngola
CEMOMozambique
Independente ConsultantAngola
FORSCBURUNDI
Women Human Rights Defenders Hub -The HubKenya
Kenya Human Rights CommissionKenya
Kenyans For Tax Justice Social MovementKenya
FifefRd congo
Coalition Togolaise des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CTDDH)Togo
Women Collective KenyaKenya
Mohamed elkory dialloMauritanie
Swaziland RURAL WOMEN’S AssemblyEswatini
Border center for support and consultingEgypt
Collectif Senegalais des Africaines pour la Promotion de l’Education Relative a l’Environnement (COSAPERE)Sénégal
Women collective UgandaUganda
Solidarity 2020 and BeyondUnited States
WcozZimbabwe
Nyando social justice CBOKenya
PUDEMOSwaziland
Tribeless YouthKenya
Human RightsEswatini
Kisumu Peace and Justice CentreKenya
Southern Africa Litigation CentreSouthern Africa
DefendDefendersUganda
Centre for Human Rights, University of PretoriaSouth Africa
Organisation stratégies et développementMauritanie
Development DynamicsNigeria
Zimbabwe women lawyers associationzimbabwe
International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI)Uganda
Queer youth ugandaUganda
SWALIMOSwaziland
Freedom Movement UgandaUganda
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)Senegal
World March of womenKenya
Human Rights and Advocacy Network for Democracy (HAND)Sudan
Ashina MtsumiKenya
ARTICLE 19 East AfricaKenya
Network of the independent Commission for Human rights in North AfricaMorocco
Association de Lutte Contre les Violences Sexuelles et Appui à la Promotion du Développement Durable “ALUCOVIS-APDD”Burundi
ALUCOVIS-APDDBurundi
Prison watch Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Association pour l’Education et la Santé de la Femme et de l’Enfant  (AESFE)Mauritanie
Robert F. Kennedy Human RightsUnited States
Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in AfricaCameroon
Rede Caboverdiana dos Defentores de Direitos Humanos – RECADDHCABO VERDE
Droits de l’homme sans frontièresTchad
African center for justice and peace studiesSudan
Young Women Growing KenyaKenya
Club Humanitaire sans FrontièresGuinée
Nouvelle Génération de la Cinématographie GuinéenneGuinée
Center for Women’ Rights and LeadershipGambia
Women Human Rights Defenders HubKenya
Swedish Foundation for Human RightsSweden
South Sudan Human Rights Defenders NetworkSouth Sudan
Association Mauritanienne pour la Promotion des droits de l’homme AMPDHMauritanie
Ecosystem Social Economic Development OrganisationKenya
Khulumani Support GroupSouth Africa
ONG RADDHOSénégal
Midpoint InternationalNigeria
Civil liberties attorneyUSA
Africa WatchMorocco
Initiative pour la paix et la gouvernance locale(IPGL asbl)Republique democratique du congo
Réseau des Organisations de la Société Civile pour l’Observation et le Suivi des Élections en Guinée – ROSEGuinée
Centre de Formation en Mécanismes de Protection des Droits Humains (CFMPDH -ONG)Bénin
Comite De Lutte Et D’Orientation Pour Les Droits D L’hommeMauritanie
Prison Watch Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Organização para Desenvolvimento Integral da Família (ODIF)Cabo Verde
Women educators association of NigeriaNigeria
Legal and Human Rights CentreTanzania
Kenya Human Rights CommissionKenya
Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO)Ethiopia
Integrated African Human Rights FoundationCameroon
Observatoire Burundais des PrisonsBurundi
Justice Access PointUganda
Protection International AfricaRegional
Moerike ConsultItaly
Reseau Nigerien des Defenseurs des Droits Humains (RNDDH)Niger
Nonvilent PeaceforceSouth Sudan
African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS)zimbabwe
LaBAPFrance – Côte d’Ivoire
La Voix des Sans Voix pour les Droits de l’Homme (VSV)République Démocratique du Congo (RDCongo)
IndependentKenya
Alliance pour la Culture et l’économieSenegal
Association pour l’amélioration des droits et conditionnés de vies des prisonniers et migrantsMauritanie
Lindo NhagaGuiné-Bissau
Avocats Sans Frontières Humanitaires Du CamerounCameroon
TadamonEgypt
Je signe la pétitionMaroc
AU  WATCHThe Gambia
Alliances for AfricaNigeria
QTV GambiaGambia
End Impunity OrganizationSouth Sudan
Action Jeunesse pour le Développement (AJED-Congo)Congo Brazzaville
Coalition Climat pour la Biodiversité et le Développement (CCBD-Congo)Congo Brazzaville
Alternative des Jeunes pour la préservation et la conservation des Ecosystèmes, de la Biodiversité et de l’Environnement pour le Développement Durable (AJEBEDD-Congo)Congo Brazzaville
SOS IJMRDC
Coalition Burkinabè des Défenseurs des Droits Humains CBDDHBurkina Faso
Oil Watch AfricaKenya
Tanzania Human Rights Defenders CoalitionTanzania
SelfZimbabwe
Comité de Lutte et d’Orietation pour les Droits  de  l’hommeMauritanie
Burundi Child Rights CoalitionBurundi
Rede Nacional dos Defensores dos Direitos Humanos na Guiné-BissauGuiné-Bissau
Centre For Rights Education and Awareness – CREAWKenya
Prison Watch Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Centre Against Gender Based Violence – CAGBVTanzania
TAAnetTanzania
Réadaptation à Base Communautaire pour les Personnes en Situation de Handicap en MauritanieMauritanie
West Point Women for Health and Development OrganizationLiberia
futurr rayonnantموريتانيا
Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human RightsZimbabwe
Association Mauritanienne pour l’Aide aux Enfants PauvresMauritanie
Femmes et Droits HumainsMali
University of The GambiaThe Gambia
Women’s Advocacy and Communication Network (WANET)Douala
African Francophone Coalitions for the ICCCôte d’Ivoire
Réseau Equitas Côte d’IvoireCôte d’Ivoire
nangaAngola
Family Rights Advancement And Protection (FRAP)The Gambia
Free Lance InterpreterGuinée-Bissau
Catholic University of Eastern AfricaKenya
Child Protection AllianceThe Gambia
CENTRE INTERNATIONAL DE FORMATION EN DROITS HUMAINS ET DÉVELOPPEMENTDRCongo
PETITION-FOR-AN-INDEPENDENT-INVESTIGATION-INTO-THE-DEATH-OF-THE-HUMAN-RIGHTS-ACTIVIST-AND-LAWYER-MASEKO-THULANI-FINAL-DraftDownload
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