The international community has urged the governments of Kenya and Rwanda to provide information regarding the whereabouts of Yusuf Gasana, a prominent human rights defender allegedly abducted from his home in Nairobi on May 20, 2023, by unidentified individuals.
Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, issued a statement on Thursday expressing concern that Gasana’s abduction and enforced disappearance may have been carried out by state agents.
“I have urgently requested information on his fate, whereabouts, and well-being from both the Kenyan and Rwandan governments,” Lawlor stated.
Gasana, known for his advocacy against the involuntary repatriation of Rwandan refugees as a member of a community-based refugee organization in Nairobi, has prompted his family to seek answers from Kenyan authorities. However, no substantial response has been received, according to Lawlor.
Lawlor highlighted that the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has intervened under its urgent humanitarian procedure, engaging with the Kenyan government regarding Gasana’s case.
Between September 2023 and March 2024, Gasana’s family reportedly received unconfirmed reports suggesting he was being held in a clandestine detention facility in Rwanda alongside others who had not been formally charged.
Lawlor emphasized concerns that Gasana’s advocacy against Rwanda’s safety for repatriation may have contributed to suspicions about his activities. She alleged that the individuals responsible for his abduction, believed to be Kenyan state agents, have raised serious alarm.
Underlining the international human rights frameworks, particularly the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, Lawlor stressed that both Kenya and Rwanda are obligated to promptly investigate Gasana’s disappearance, locate him, and hold those accountable for any wrongdoing.
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