Rights group calls on Eswatini to release former MPs

Amnesty International called on Tuesday for the immediate and unconditional release of two former members of parliament in Eswatini, Mthandeni Dube and Bacede Mabuza. The appeal follows reports of a conditional royal pardon granted earlier in the month to MP Dube, which led to his supervised release.

“Mthandeni Dube’s release may bring relief to his family, but justice remains incomplete while his human rights are restricted by sweeping conditions, and Bacede Mabuza, who was arrested together with Dube, is still in prison,” said Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda. “The Eswatini authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Bacede Mabuza and quash both MPs’ unfair convictions.”

King Mswati’s Correctional Services announced Dube’s royal pardon earlier this month on a conditional basis, imposing strict limitations on his political engagement, public communication, and movement. Mabuza, however, remains in prison, serving an 85-year sentence. Dube and Mabuza were arrested on 25 July 2021 after supporting calls for constitutional and democratic reform in Eswatini. The two lawmakers were convicted in July 2024 and sentenced to 85 years (Mabuza) and 58 years (Dube) in prison.

Amnesty International has urged Eswatini authorities to quash the convictions and release the two MPs unconditionally, arguing that their detention and sentences were unjust and tied to the peaceful exercise of their political rights.

Context around the royal pardon and current detention status remains pivotal in ongoing advocacy by human rights groups. The case highlights tensions between reform efforts and state responses in Eswatini’s political landscape.

Author’s summary: Amnesty International calls for unconditional release of two former Eswatini MPs, condemning conditional pardons that restrict political rights while urging quashing of convictions (120–200 characters).

Jurist.org — 2025-11-20

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