United Nations human rights experts have raised alarm over lack of justice and accountability for victims of Tanzania’s deadly post-election violence, one year after the October 2025 unrest, demanding the immediate public release of a Commission of Inquiry report.
The experts said hundreds of victims of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and torture were still awaiting justice, with no state officials charged over the reported abuses.
“There has been no justice or accountability for the hundreds of victims of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and those subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. The answers they seek remain in hidden reports,” the experts said.
The violence that followed the October 2025 elections was characterised by the use of excessive and lethal force by security agencies, internet shutdowns, and the intimidation and harassment of journalists and human rights defenders across the country.
The experts called for independent, prompt, thorough and impartial investigations to establish the truth, hold perpetrators accountable and ensure victims receive justice and reparations.
The Commission of Inquiry, established by the Office of President Samia Suluhu Hassan in November 2025, submitted its final report in April 2026. However, the summary of its findings did not identify alleged perpetrators, refer cases for prosecution or recommend individual accountability.
“Withholding the full report undermines the rights to truth and justice. We call on the Government to make the report publicly available in its entirety without further delay,” the experts said.
A second Commission of Inquiry was established in August 2026, but its work remains ongoing. The experts expressed concern over the lack of detailed information about its mandate and scope, as well as reports that its engagement with victims has been limited.
They urged the commission and Tanzanian authorities to clarify the objectives of the inquiry and ensure its findings are made public once the process is complete.
The experts also raised concerns over the alleged continued arbitrary detention of hundreds of people held for prolonged periods before trial on treason and terrorism-related charges.
Additional reports cited by the experts included the alleged discovery of mass graves, continuing enforced disappearances, the removal of bodies from morgues and the use of protest footage by police to identify demonstrators.
They warned that victims and their families continued to face a deteriorating human rights situation, compounded by restrictions on civic freedoms.
“Victims’ families, civil society, journalists and human rights defenders reportedly face threats, intimidation and surveillance,” the experts said.
They added that the crackdown on activists, human rights defenders, journalists and opposition supporters was creating a climate of fear, while people who had fled to neighbouring countries continued to face alleged cross-border repression.
The experts also highlighted the continued detention of Tanzania’s opposition leader, Tundu Antipas Mughwai Lissu, who has been in custody since April 2025 on treason charges, an offence punishable by death.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found Lissu’s detention to be arbitrary. He is awaiting a court judgment scheduled for November 6, 2026.
Lissu reportedly began a hunger strike on October 26 in protest against restrictions on access to his lawyers.
The experts condemned what they described as escalating repression against civil society organizations, journalists, human rights defenders and legal professionals who have scrutinized Lissu’s trial.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found Lissu’s detention to be arbitrary. He is awaiting a court judgment scheduled for November 6, 2026.
The experts condemned what they described as escalating repression against civil society organisations, journalists, human rights defenders and legal professionals who have scrutinised Lissu’s trial.
They called for an immediate end to attacks on the independence of judges, lawyers and prosecutors, as well as accountability for those responsible.
