Amnesty International has accused Tanzanian authorities of failing to hold anyone accountable for the deadly crackdown on protesters, which left hundreds of people dead and thousands of others injured in the wake of the 2025 general election.
According to Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, “not a single official has been criminally investigated, let alone prosecuted and punished for the excessive force that Tanzanian security forces used against protesters. In fact, the situation has only deteriorated since the crackdown began.”
Instead of pursuing accountability, authorities have withheld a Commission of Inquiry report into the election-related killings and intensified pressure on opposition supporters, journalists, lawyers and government critics, Amnesty International stated.
The allegations were detailed in a statement marking the first anniversary of the crackdown.
Commission of Inquiry Report Withheld as Accountability Stalls
Amnesty International stated that the failure to establish accountability has deepened concerns over impunity, with authorities yet to publish findings from an earlier investigation into the killings.
Amnesty International also disclosed that the Commission of Inquiry report was handed to President Samia Suluhu in April 2026 but has not been made public.
Meanwhile, the President has repeatedly alleged that foreign actors funded the post-election protests in an attempt to overthrow the government. In August 2026, President Suluhu inaugurated another commission tasked with identifying those who planned, funded, coordinated or carried out the violence, investigating the use of excessive force and determining the whereabouts of missing people.
However, Amnesty International warned that the new inquiry must independently examine the role of security forces and make its findings public.
“President Suluhu’s continued refusal to release the Commission of Inquiry report not only entrenches a culture of secrecy, but it also perpetuates impunity,” Tigere Chagutah added.
He called for the new commission to conduct thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigations and publish its findings immediately upon completing its mandate.
Amnesty International noted that the absence of accountability had accompanied a wider pattern of alleged human rights violations against government critics, opposition supporters, media organisations and dissenting members of the ruling party.
The organisation has documented allegations of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, abductions, torture or other ill-treatment, and restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Counterterrorism Laws Used Against Opposition Supporters and Critics
Also, Amnesty International accused Tanzanian authorities of increasingly using counterterrorism legislation to target perceived government opponents, subjecting detainees to prolonged detention and serious criminal charges over alleged involvement in protests.
On July 9, 2026, police spokesman David Misime announced that 130 people had been arrested over an alleged plan to organise meetings and circulate messages encouraging criminal acts intended to destabilise the country.
At least 64 of those arrested were charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, according to Amnesty International, which noted that terrorism-related offences can prevent accused persons from obtaining bail.
Amnesty International maintained that the reported treatment raised concerns about torture and other ill-treatment in detention, adding that “by resorting to terrorism-related charges against its perceived critics, the Tanzanian government is sending a chilling message that it won’t stop at anything in its effort to repress any dissenting opinions.”
The organisation called on authorities to end the use of counterterrorism laws to restrict peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, drop terrorism charges against people it considers unjustly detained, and stop harassing individuals for exercising their human rights.
Media Restrictions and Security Measures Narrow Civic Space
Moreover, Amnesty International indicated that restrictions on public gatherings, online platforms and independent journalism had further constrained civic space since the election-related violence.
Authorities restricted access to social media platforms, including Clubhouse and X, while deploying security forces to deter planned demonstrations on December 9, 2025, and July 7, 2026.
Amnesty International reported that on June 26, 2026, the Home Affairs Minister banned political rallies and mass gatherings, further restricting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Also, the Chief Justice issued an order barring lawyers from speaking to the media about cases before the courts, which Amnesty International stated undermined lawyers’ rights and the media’s ability to seek, receive and share information.
Media organisations have faced suspensions and other regulatory measures over their reporting.
Amnesty International called for the newspaper’s suspension to be revoked, access to banned social media platforms to be restored and online censorship to end.
Tigere Chagutah added, “they must also ensure that media outlets are free to operate independently, and that journalists can carry out their legitimate work without fear of reprisals.”
The organisation indicated that the alleged abuses, combined with the lack of accountability for election-related killings, risked deepening a climate of fear among political opponents, journalists and ordinary citizens.
It urged Tanzanian authorities to investigate alleged violations by security forces, disclose the findings of the earlier Commission of Inquiry and end the use of counterterrorism laws and other restrictions against peaceful dissent.
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