10 Kenyans languishing at a prison in Tanzania are appealing for help from a senior African Court citing illegal imprisonment and torture.
The inmates, who have been in the foreign prison for the last 10 years, are set to know their fate after launching an appeal with the African Court for Human and Peoples' Rights (AfCHPR), accusing the Tanzanian government of unlawfully and forcibly arresting them.
The Kenyans allege that they were apprehended in Mozambique where they had gone to seek for employment, before being airlifted to Tanzania where they were charged with murder and armed robbery hence sentenced for 30 years in prison.
According to a report by the Nation, the prisoners complained of torture, frequent beatings by police in prison, prolonged trial and lack of legal aid, claims which were supported by their lawyer Don Deya.
The Kenyans further said that two of their colleagues, Peter Kariba and John Odongo Odhiambo, died in prison due to torture.
However, the Tanzanian authorities have defended their actions, saying that the 10 were lawfully arrested within their territories after being dropped by Mozambican military.
They further claimed that the Kenyan prisoners had been properly charged and those who perished in prison died out of natural causes, adding that the complainants were wrong to seek help from the court without passing through local channels.
The report indicated that the African Court had acknowledged receipt of the complains and would give a determination of the matter on Friday.
