Three police officers in Kenya have been charged with the murder of a 31-year-old blogger who died in police custody earlier this month.
Albert Ojwang’s death has sparked outrage in Kenya with protests held to demand justice.
Mr Ojwang was arrested after Kenya’s deputy police chief Eliud Lagat filed a complaint, accusing the blogger of defaming him on social media.
Mr Lagat stepped aside last week pending the outcome of investigations into Ojwang’s death. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The three police officers – Samson Kiprotich, Talaam James Mukhwana and Peter Kimani – were charged along with three civilians.
All six appeared in court on Monday, but have not yet pleaded.
Police initially said that Mr Ojwang died of self-inflicted wounds, but were forced to retract the statement after an autopsy found that he was likely to have died from assault wounds.
A street vendor was shot during a demonstration last week in the capital, Nairobi, over Mr Ojwang’s death, sparking renewed outrage from Kenyans who accuse police of using excessive force against protesters.
Boniface Kariuki was reportedly selling masks when a uniformed police officer fired a bullet at close range, critically injuring him.
Activists have called for a “total shutdown” of the economy on Wednesday as they step up protests against police brutality, and mark a year since the security forces opened fire on crowds protesting against an increases in taxes.
During last Tuesday’s protests, Mr Kariuki was holding a packet of face masks when he was caught up in a confrontation with two officers in Nairobi as hundreds of protesters clashed with police.
One officer, who had concealed his face with a mask, was filmed shooting him in the head as he walked away.
“Watching that video of Boniface being shot was heart-breaking. He was just selling masks. How could anyone hurt someone who hadn’t done anything wrong? It made me fearful,” Jonah Kariuki, the vendor’s father, told the BBC.
Mr Kariuki senior, who is also a hawker, said his son was the family’s bread-winner and called for the prosecution of the police officers involved, if they are found guilty of shooting him.
“I was so shocked because my son was not armed with stones or clubs like other protesters who were seen armed. They found him doing his work. It pained me because my son has never stolen anything,” said Susan Njeri, the victim’s mother.
Boniface Kariuki is being treated at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya’s largest referral facility, where he remains in critical condition.
“Boniface cannot talk. He cannot hear as well. He cannot see us. To be sincere, he can’t survive without life support,” Emily Wanjiru, the family spokesperson, told the BBC.
The case has attracted widespread condemnation, with demonstrators demanding accountability for both the vendor’s shooting and Mr Ojwang’s earlier death.
Foreign embassies and rights organisations have urged the government to ensure transparency in the investigations and to hold those responsible to account.
