By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) based in New York-United States (US) has confirmed through a press release that, the organization is behind the filing of the human rights violation case against King Mswati and his Eswatini undemocratic Government for arresting the then pro-democracy Members of Parliament (MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube.

The Human Rights Foundation successfully obtained a ruling with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Working Group, directing the Eswatini Government and Mswati to release Mabuza and Dube and further compensate them subsequent to the unlawful conviction.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is a human rights body tasked with investigating cases of detention that are arbitrary or inconsistent with international standards, the UN released a ruling on the 15th October 2025 after investigating the politically motivated conviction of two(2) eSwatini pro-democracy MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube 

But in a statement released after the ‘ruling’, the Human Rights Foundation heavily criticized King Mswati, accusing him of using arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial killings against political dissents, students activists and human rights lawyers.

“King Mswati’s repression of dissent has become increasingly brutal in recent years. The regime persecutes political dissidents, student activists, and human rights lawyers alike using arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings. The king has gone so far as to threaten to unleash mercenary forces on those demanding democratic reforms,” reads the statement in part.

Efforts to reach Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

On another note, Venla Stang, the Human Rights Foundation Senior Legal Associate welcomed the United Nations Working Group’s ‘ruling’ against the Eswatini undemocratic regime saying, “it sends a clear signal” that, the ongoing human rights violations in the tiny Kingdom will no longer escape international scrutiny.

“The situation in the small kingdom rarely makes international headlines, but this decision sends a strong signal to the Swazi regime: its human rights abuses will no longer escape international scrutiny.” said Human Rights Foundation Senior Legal Associate.

The United Nations Working Group gave the Eswatini Government and Mswati a six (6) months ultimatum to release ex-MPs Mabuza and Dube and further compensate them, Mthandeni Dube has been released after being tricked to a apologize to King Mswati, an absolute Monarch.

But a delegation of current Members of Parliament (MPs) led by Eswatini’s Deputy Speaker Madala Mhlanga visited ex-MP Bacede Mabuza at the Matsapha Correctional Complex last week, to try and convince him to apologise to Mswati as well and be released, King’s Protocol Officer Khandlela Mdluli was part of the delegation.

The Human Rights Foundation urged the international community and other human rights organizations to keep a close eye on Eswatini, amid gross violation of human rights violations.

The tiny Kingdom is not a democracy but, an absolute Monarchy where vibrant political parties are banned, criminalized through draconian laws and further restricted from participating in elections.

But apart from that, human rights defenders and political activists are arrested, tortured or even killed merely for demanding democratic reforms.

As a result, human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko who was leading the pro-democracy MultiStakeholder Forum (MSF) was assassinated at the peak of the recent political unrest while facilitating a political dialogue recommended by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Eswatini Government has been refusing to allow an international, independent and credible investigation into his death.