Tanzania rights group warns of sharp rise in abuses around 2025 elections
Tanzania’s Legal and Human Rights Centre reports rising 2025 abuses, including over 40 enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and treason charges, warning that October election crackdowns threaten democratic freedoms.
Tanzania’s rights group, the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), has warned of a sharp rise in human rights violations in 2025, particularly around the October general elections, citing arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and politically motivated treason charges.
Many of those detained were reportedly held without bail or clear charges, leaving families uncertain about the whereabouts of their loved ones and raising concerns about civil liberties in the country.
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Arbitrary arrests and detentions were especially prevalent before and after the elections, targeting opposition leaders, human rights defenders, and journalists. Some individuals were detained during nighttime raids or intimidated in their homes.
The LHRC documented over 40 cases of enforced disappearances during 2025.
Victims included politicians, activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens, some of whom were later confirmed to be held by authorities, while others remain unaccounted for.
"In 2025 alone, more than 40 cases of abductions were confirmed by the police through public reports. Some of those abducted were confirmed to be held by the police, but there are cases reported by families without verification from state authorities, and the whereabouts of many of those affected remain unknown," the group said in a statement.
Additionally, there have been reports of extrajudicial killings linked to state actors, including security agencies and government authorities, with some deaths occurring during peaceful protests following the elections.
"During and after the 29 October general elections, there were reports of unarmed civilians, particularly youth, being killed during protests. While exact numbers are not yet known, government officials have publicly acknowledged that the October 29 election period resulted in civilian deaths.
Social media and other sources reported deaths of individuals not involved in protests, including some occurring at their homes. These killings caused widespread grief, and many families have not received the bodies of their loved ones for burial," said LHRC.
The use of politically motivated treason charges has also raised alarm, with opposition figures and critics of the government being targeted. The case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, detained and charged in April 2025, exemplifies this pattern, with lawyers and supporters reportedly facing harassment and restrictions.
"For nearly 42 years, Tanzania has never witnessed anyone being charged with this serious offence. In reality, it is extremely rare for an ordinary Tanzanian who is not a member of the military to be charged with treason. However, in 2025, this charge began to be used as a tool to silence government critics, with individuals being prosecuted for treason, an offence that under Tanzanian law carries no merit," the rights group said.
Beyond arrests and killings, the LHRC cited wider restrictions on civil liberties, including limitations on media freedom, internet shutdowns, and suppression of public demonstrations.
The group warned that these violations undermine Tanzania’s democratic institutions and called on the government to uphold constitutional guarantees, respect human rights, and ensure accountability for abuses.
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