Jurist Tanzania utilizes voter suppression tactics ahead of election, says rights group

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Amnesty International reported Monday that Tanzanian authorities have “intensified their repression of dissent against the opposition, journalists, civil society and human rights defenders in a deliberate strategy to instill fear, suppress civic engagement and entrench power” ahead of upcoming general elections.

Political dissidents have voiced fear and cynicism toward the approaching election, with one individual telling Human Rights Watch, “I don’t feel safe being a politician in Tanzania. I don’t feel free to criticize the government… [W]e find ourselves under constant attack by the police.” Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, further articulated concerns regarding the state of the county:

President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government has dashed hopes for reform. Instead, under her watch, authorities have continued and intensified repressive practices targeting opposition leaders, civil society, journalists, and dissenting voices, including through assaults, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, with nobody held accountable…Political opponents have faced politically motivated charges and in some cases their right to contest the vote has been denied.

Authorities have allegedly utilized the criminal justice system and legal instruments to suppress opposition and have imposed restrictions on assembly, movement, association, expression, and press freedoms. Further, the Tanganyika Law Society reported that as of August 9, 2024, nearly 83 individuals had disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

On March 19, 2021, Hassan became president of Tanzania. As the first female head of state, she appeared to foster an inclusive political environment during the first few months of her term. However, despite initial reforms, repression has allegedly intensified under President Hassan, particularly as the country approaches general elections set to take place October 29.

Amnesty International expressed concern over the state of Tanzania in 2020 in their report “Lawfare: Repression by Law ahead of Tanzania’s General Elections,” where they called on the Tanzanian authorities to respect and uphold human rights throughout the election process. However, the repression has allegedly only increased over the past five years. Amnesty International again called for action, demanding that authorities end their “unacceptable campaign of repression against dissent.”

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