LESOTHO: JOURNALIST ABDUCTED, ASSAULTED AND THREATENED

Dear Prime Minister,

I am concerned about the safety of journalist and human rights defender, Kananelo Boloetse, after reportedly being subjected to abduction, assault, and death threats on September 5, 2026.

At around 7pm on September 5, three-armed men abducted Kananelo Boloetse from his home in Katlehong, Maseru. They restrained him, handcuffed him, and sealed his mouth with duct tape before putting him into a vehicle. They interrogated him about his work as a journalist and human rights defender and assaulted him. During the attack, they threatened to kill him if the media reported what had happened. He was left abandoned, seriously injured, 24 kilometers outside Maseru. On the same evening, he made his way to a nearby road, where he was rescued by the driver of a passing vehicle. Photographs published after the attack show injuries across his back which resulted from the beating.

On September 5, Kananelo Boloetse filed a case at the Maseru Central Charge Office, but no arrests have been publicly announced with the case remaining under investigation.

The perpetrators knew where he lived, and suspicious activity was observed near his residence before his abduction. He continues to be in imminent danger of being attacked and harmed again.

I urge you to ensure a prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation into his reported abduction, assault, and death threats is carried out, and that anyone suspected of criminal responsibility is brought to justice in fair proceedings. I further urge you to ensure that journalists and human rights defenders in Lesotho can carry out their work freely and safely, without violence, intimidation, or reprisals.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]