Thulani Maseko is a lawyer and activist from Swaziland – a small African country ruled by a brutal absolute monarch. Watching the king live in gross excess while the people of Swaziland suffer in extreme poverty drove Maseko to begin speaking out about state corruption. Maseko was scheduled to speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum, but in response to his criticism, the Swazi government arrested him and, after a sham trial, threw him in prison. After pressure from the international community, he was freed. Maseko was able to attend this year’s Oslo Freedom Forum to share how he is more committed than ever to educating and empowering people in Swaziland with their fundamental rights.
