Abduction, assault and death threats against human rights defender Kananelo Boloetse
On 5 September 2026, Kananelo Boloetse was abducted from his home in Katlehong, Maseru. He reported being assaulted, interrogated about his human rights works and threatened. The human rights defender was later abandoned on the outskirts of the city on the same day.
Kananelo Boloetse is a human rights defender, journalist, and co-founder of civic movement, The Advocates for the Supremacy of the Constitution (also known as SECTION 2). He is the former chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in Lesotho, and is widely recognised for defending constitutional rights, freedom of expression, and civic participation — particularly for underrepresented voices in Lesotho.
Kananelo’s rights work has focused on government accountability and upholding the rule of law. In 2022, for example, he filed a petition with the High Court of Lesotho challenging the reconvening of Parliament under a state of emergency. More recently, through his civic movement SECTION 2, he led an advocacy campaign calling for National Security Service (NSS) agents, who had been dismissed unlawfully according to the Court of Appeals, to be reinstated or compensated.
On 5 September 2026, Kananelo Boloetse was abducted from his home in Katlehong, Maseru. He reported being assaulted, interrogated about his human rights works and threatened. The human rights defender was later abandoned on the outskirts of the city on the same day.
Kananelo Boloetse is a human rights defender, journalist, and co-founder of civic movement The Advocates for the Supremacy of the Constitution (also known as SECTION 2). He is the former chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in Lesotho, and is widely recognised for defending constitutional rights, freedom of expression, and civic participation — particularly for underrepresented voices in Lesotho. Kananelo’s rights work has focused on government accountability and upholding the rule of law. In 2022, for example, he filed a petition with the High Court of Lesotho challenging the reconvening of Parliament under a state of emergency. More recently, through his civic movement SECTION 2, he led an advocacy campaign calling for National Security Service (NSS) agents, who had been dismissed unlawfully according to the Court of Appeals, to be reinstated or compensated.
On the evening of 5 September 2026, a group of armed, hooded men stormed into the home of Kananelo Boloetse in Katlehong, Maseru. They immediately subdued him, handcuffing, blindfolding and gagging him before forcibly dragging him into a vehicle. He was severely beaten during the journey. He reported that the men explicitly threatened him, stating that if he publicised the incident through the media or on social media, they would track him down and kill him. They then abandoned him in Thaba-Bosiu, on the outskirts of Maseru. A passing motorist rescued the human rights defender.
While the perpetrators have not yet been identified, the human rights defender reported that, during the attack, one of the perpetrators had called another “Morena”, a term reportedly used within certain Lesotho security services.
On 6 September 2026, Kananelo Boloetse filed a formal complaint at Maseru Central Police Station. To date, however, he has not received any substantial information on the case or the potential investigation. The incident has also been widely reported by national and international organisations and in the media.
Front Line Defenders expresses its concern at the abduction, attack and death threats issued against human rights defender Kananelo Boloetse. Front Line Defenders believes that he was targeted in connection with his human rights defense work. We call on all relevant authorities to ensure that these actions do not go unpunished and that accountability is fully upheld.
Front Line Defenders calls on the authorities in Lesotho to:
- Take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and physical integrity of Kananelo Boloetse and his family, and to prevent any further attacks or reprisals against him, so that he can continue his human rights work;
- Conduct an independent, impartial, thorough, and effective investigation without delay into his abduction, assault, and the death threats without delay, identifying those responsible and holding them to account in accordance with the law;
- Examine all potential lines of inquiry, with particular focus on any possible involvement of state security agencies or their personnel, without prejudging the outcome;
- Ensure that Kananelo Boloetse has immediate access to effective medical care and psychosocial support;
- Ensure that, in all circumstances, all human rights defenders in Lesotho can carry out their legitimate human rights work in a safe and enabling environment, free from restrictions and fear of reprisals.
