UN experts condemn Tanzania’s secrecy over post-election violence inquiry findings
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on the spot over failure to release finding of the Commission of Inquiry into post-election violence. PHOTO/Wikimedia Commons.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
UN experts have expressed grave concern that one year after unprecedented post-election violence in Tanzania, victims are still awaiting the publication of findings from the Commission of Inquiry.
“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 post-election violence of October 2025 was characterised by the use of excessive and lethal force by security forces, internet shutdowns and the intimidation and harassment of journalists and human rights defenders across Tanzania. After one year, no State officials have been charged.
“There must be independent, prompt, thorough and impartial investigations to ensure victims’ rights to truth, justice and reparations,” the experts said.
The Commission of Inquiry, established in November 2025 by the Office of the President, submitted its concluding report in April 2026. The summary of its findings provides no determinations of the perpetrators, no referrals for prosecution and no recommendations on 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,” they said.
The experts includes 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, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and Margaret Satterthwaite , Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
Others are Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Leopoldo Maldonado Gutiérrez, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
The UN experts said the detention of Tanzania’s opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been found to be arbitrary by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. PHOTO/UGC.
Others include; Andrea Bolaños Vargas, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Pau Pérez Sales, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and Matthew Gillett (Chair-Rapporteur), Ganna Yudkivska (Vice-Chair on Communications), Ethan Hee-Seok Shin (Vice-Chair on Follow Up), Miriam Estrada-Castillo and Mumba Malila, Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
In August 2026, a second Commission was established, and its work is still ongoing. There is no detailed information about its mandate or scope of work, and its collaboration with victims has reportedly been limited. The experts call on this second Commission and on Tanzanian authorities to clarify the focus and objective of its work and to make its findings publicly available once complete.
The experts raised concern about the alleged ongoing arbitrary detention of hundreds of persons who remain in prolonged pre-trial detention under charges of treason and terrorism related charges, and reports received concerning mass graves, ongoing enforced disappearances, bodies removed from morgues and use of protest footage by police to identify protesters.
“Victims continue to face a grave and worsening human rights situation, compounded by further restrictions on civic space. Victims’ families, civil society, journalists and human rights defenders reportedly face threats, intimidation and surveillance,” they said.
“Repression against activists, human rights defenders, journalists and supporters of the opposition party are having a chilling effect. Many who flee to neighbouring countries continue to face transnational repression,” the experts said.
The opposition’s National Chairman, Tindu Antipas Mughwai Lissu, has been in continuous custody since April 2025, charged with treason – an offence carrying the death penalty. Lissu’s detention has been found to be arbitrary by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. He is awaiting the Court’s judgment, scheduled on 6 November 2026. He reportedly began a hunger strike on 26 October 2026 in protest against restrictions to access of his lawyers.
“We condemn the reported patterns of escalating repression against civil society organisations, journalists, human rights defenders and legal professionals who have scrutinised the trial, and call for an immediate halt of and accountability for the attacks on the independence of judges, lawyers and prosecutors,” they said.
The experts have raised their concerns with the Government of Tanzania.
