19/07/24 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 19 July, the EU expressed its “deep concern” at the sentencing on 15 July of former members of the Eswatini parliament, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, to 25 and 18 years of imprisonment respectively, according to a press release. “The EU continues to call on the government of Eswatini to ensure that the human rights of all, including the two former members of parliament, are upheld in line with its international obligations. Eswatini’s authorities must ensure the independence of the judiciary and the right to fair trial and due process for everyone at all stages of their trial and any possible appeals”. The Eswatini authorities “must immediately quash the unjust and baseless convictions and sentences of the two former members of parliament”, said Amnesty International on 15 July. The two men have been detained since 2021 for taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations. (SP)