Tanzanian national sues US government over torture

By  Hellen Nachilongo

Dar es Salaam. Andrew Hango a Tanzanian national who has resided in the United States for over two decades, is claiming to have undergone severe human rights abuses at the hands of US government officials.

He has filed a legal suit, seeking a compensation of $5 million for brutality by law enforcement, resulting in a lifelong handicap, wrongful imprisonment for seven years, and extreme physical and psychological torture.

Despite possessing legal documents and being married to an American wife, Mr Hango told a section of Tanzania’s media outlets via Zoom at the weekend that the US customs officials mistook him for an illegal migrant, leading to harassment, torture, and physical disability.

Mr Hango

When contacted, the US Embassy in Tanzania declined to comment on the matter. However, the Department of State in Washington provided an official response acknowledging Mr Hango’s case and directing him to pursue legal recourse through the courts.

Mr Hango recounts an incident in 2004 where customs officials at a US airport arrested and severely tortured him, leaving him disabled and unsupported.

He alleges that despite his injuries, he was not provided with medical attention and was instead forced onto a plane with the intention of deporting him to Tanzania.

However, the airline refused to board him due to his condition.

“I have lived a very difficult life in these 20 years. I have been exposed to various forms of torture…,” he told a section of Tanzania’s media outlets via Zoom at the weekend.