Human rights defender Maurice Mjomba

On 30 July 2012, human rights defender Mr Maurice Mjomba was found dead in his home in Dar es Salaam in suspicious circumstances.

Maurice Mjomba worked as a human rights defender with the Center for Human Rights Promotion (CHRP), and he was also involved with several regional human rights initiatives.

As a training coordinator at CHRP, Maurice Mjomba's work generally focused on combating discrimination against people infected with HIV and AIDS and on providing support to intra-venous drug users. He was also affiliated with various regional coalitions dealing with sexual health awareness for sexual minorities.

Maurice Mjomba's body was found when neighbours detected a strong odour coming from his home, and upon finding his house locked, they called the police. The body showed signs of beating and strangulation, suggesting that he might have been murdered. He had last been seen on Friday, 27 July. An autopsy is to be carried out on 31 July in order to determine the cause of death.

Front Line Defenders offers its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Maurice Mjomba and urges the Tanzanian authorities to carry out an impartial and effective investigation into his death.