Tanzania Government: Why we detained CPJ officials

Two Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) officials including a former Nation Media Group (NMG) journalist who had been detained by the Tanzanian government have been released.

CPJ has confirmed that Ms. Angela Quintal and Muthoki Mumo have left the country safely.

On Wednesday, the Tanzanian police arrested the officials who were on the ground on a fact finding mission.

Their arrest was condemned by journalists, the United States State Department and human rights lobby groups.

The State Department in a statement on Thursday said that it was closely monitoring the issue. On November 4, the European Union (EU) also recalled its chief representative in Tanzania over deteriorating human rights in the country.

Shortly after the widespread condemnation of the arrest of the two journalists, the Tanzanian government through is Immigration Department came out to defend the arrest saying that the two had gone against the stated purpose of visit.

Ms Quintal and Ms Mumo had travelled to the country to assess the state of freedom of press in the country following numerous allegations that state officials were harassing journalists.

The Tanzanian government was however uncomfortable with the move by the two CPJ officials to interview local journalists as their research delved deeper, this is according to Tanzania Immigration Department Spokesperson Ally Mtanda.

The Nation on Friday quoted CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon as having expressed his gratitude to lobby groups, media stations and journalists for speaking against the unwarranted detention.

“The two CPJ staff members have now safely left Tanzania. We are of the view that the Tanzanian government should cease their ongoing crackdown against freedom of the media,” said Mr Simon in a statement.