UN consultants condemn Tanzania’s secrecy over post-election violence inquiry findings
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on the spot over failure to launch discovering of the Fee of Inquiry into post-election violence. PHOTO/Wikimedia Commons.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
UN consultants have expressed grave concern that one yr after unprecedented post-election violence in Tanzania, victims are nonetheless awaiting the publication of findings from the Fee of Inquiry.
“There was no justice or accountability for the lots of of victims of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and people subjected to torture and different merciless, inhuman and degrading therapy. The solutions they search stay in hidden experiences,” the consultants stated.
The post-election violence of October 2025 was characterised by means of extreme and deadly pressure by safety forces, web shutdowns and the intimidation and harassment of journalists and human rights defenders throughout Tanzania. After one yr, no State officers have been charged.
“There should be unbiased, immediate, thorough and neutral investigations to make sure victims’ rights to fact, justice and reparations,” the consultants stated.
The Fee of Inquiry, established in November 2025 by the Workplace of the President, submitted its concluding report in April 2026. The abstract of its findings gives no determinations of the perpetrators, no referrals for prosecution and no suggestions on particular person accountability.
“Withholding the complete report undermines the rights to fact and justice. We name on the Authorities to make the report publicly accessible in its entirety with out additional delay,” they stated.
The consultants contains Grazyna Baranowska (Chair-Rapporteur), Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez (Vice-Chair), Gabriella Citroni, Aua Baldé and Mohammed Al-Obaidi, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Morris Tidball-Binz, Particular Rapporteur on extrajudicial, abstract or arbitrary executions and Margaret Satterthwaite , Particular Rapporteur on the independence of judges and attorneys.
Others are Ben Saul, Particular Rapporteur on the promotion and safety of human rights and elementary freedoms whereas countering terrorism, Leopoldo Maldonado Gutiérrez, Particular Rapporteur on the promotion and safety of the proper to freedom of opinion and expression and Gina Romero, Particular Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceable meeting and of affiliation.
The UN consultants stated the detention of Tanzania’s opposition chief Tundu Lissu has been discovered to be arbitrary by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. PHOTO/UGC.
Others embrace; Andrea Bolaños Vargas, Particular Rapporteur on the state of affairs of human rights defenders, Pau Pérez Gross sales, Particular Rapporteur on torture and different merciless, inhuman or degrading therapy or punishment and Matthew Gillett (Chair-Rapporteur), Ganna Yudkivska (Vice-Chair on Communications), Ethan Hee-Seok Shin (Vice-Chair on Observe Up), Miriam Estrada-Castillo and Mumba Malila, Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
In August 2026, a second Fee was established, and its work remains to be ongoing. There is no such thing as a detailed details about its mandate or scope of labor, and its collaboration with victims has reportedly been restricted. The consultants name on this second Fee and on Tanzanian authorities to make clear the main focus and goal of its work and to make its findings publicly accessible as soon as full.
The consultants raised concern in regards to the alleged ongoing arbitrary detention of lots of of individuals who stay in extended pre-trial detention underneath expenses of treason and terrorism associated expenses, and experiences acquired regarding mass graves, ongoing enforced disappearances, our bodies faraway from morgues and use of protest footage by police to establish protesters.
“Victims proceed to face a grave and worsening human rights state of affairs, compounded by additional restrictions on civic area. Victims’ households, civil society, journalists and human rights defenders reportedly face threats, intimidation and surveillance,” they stated.
“Repression towards activists, human rights defenders, journalists and supporters of the opposition celebration are having a chilling impact. Many who flee to neighbouring international locations proceed to face transnational repression,” the consultants stated.
The opposition’s Nationwide Chairman, Tindu Antipas Mughwai Lissu, has been in steady custody since April 2025, charged with treason – an offence carrying the loss of life penalty. Lissu’s detention has been discovered to be arbitrary by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. He’s awaiting the Court docket’s judgment, scheduled on 6 November 2026. He reportedly started a starvation strike on 26 October 2026 in protest towards restrictions to entry of his attorneys.
“We condemn the reported patterns of escalating repression towards civil society organisations, journalists, human rights defenders and authorized professionals who’ve scrutinised the trial, and name for an instantaneous halt of and accountability for the assaults on the independence of judges, attorneys and prosecutors,” they stated.
The consultants have raised their considerations with the Authorities of Tanzania.
