There’s a concerning report coming out of Nairobi, Kenya where a human rights lawyer with the organization International Justice Mission, named Willie Kimani, was reportedly abducted after leaving a courthouse. IJM works to help poor communities in the developing world, and has a large global team of lawyers, social workers and investigators who advocate on their behalf.
According to IJM, “Before his abduction, Willie Kimani had been in court defending Josephat Mwenda, a 24-year-old father of one, against false claims.” Along with Mwenda and Kimani, the duo’s taxi driver was also kidnapped. The organization is currently working with local authorities in the region to help find the three, but they are also asking concerned Americans to help advocate on their behalf. On their site, they explained,
Please contact the Kenyan Ambassador to the United States, Robinson Njeru Githae, and urge his government to find these missing men and bring them safely home.
Please tweet Kenyan Ambassador Githae—or the Kenyan Ambassador in your country—and ask for their help in locating an IJM lawyer, IJM client, and taxi driver: URGENT @KenyaembassyDC: @IJM lawyer & two others abducted in Nairobi. Please help us find them. IJM.org/JusticeinKenya #JusticeinKenya
The New York Times has reported additional details about the case: Kimani was representing a young taxi driver who had apparently been accidentally shot in the arm by a police officer. From the NYT, “The officer and his colleagues retaliated by pursuing false charges against Mr. Mwenda, including drug counts and accusations of petty crimes like riding a motorcycle without a helmet, according to human rights activists.”
According to the report, his colleagues believe local police may be behind the abduction.
