Tanzania: President Hassan should do more to guarantee human rights after Mbowe’s release

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

The release of Tanzania’s opposition leader Freeman Mbowe is a step in the right direction which must be followed by concrete and effective measures to ensure full respect for human rights including the rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression, Amnesty International said today.

Freeman Mbowe was arbitrarily arrested and detained on politically motivated charges, amid a crackdown targeting Tanzania’s opposition.
Sarah Jackson, Deputy Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes

Freeman Mbowe spent eight months in detention on terrorism charges, which were dropped before his release on 4 March. Amnesty International is calling on Tanzanian authorities to immediately stop weaponizing the law to target opposition and critical voices, and to make a number of reforms including addressing the misuse of the provisions of non bailable offences under the Criminal Procedure Act to hold people in prison for unreasonable periods of time, on the grounds that further investigations are pending.

Following his release, Mbowe met with President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the State House in Dar es Salaam, where they pledged to join hands to “build the nation, through trust and mutual respect built on the foundations of justice”.

“Freeman Mbowe was arbitrarily arrested and detained on politically motivated charges, amid a crackdown targeting Tanzania’s opposition. His release brings an end to eight months of injustice and must signal the end of attempts by Tanzanian authorities to crush political opposition and peaceful dissent,” said Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

“We now call on President Hassan to honor the pledge she made last week, and ensure that the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly of everyone, including the political opposition, will be respected, protected, and promoted going forward.

“This means putting an end to the arbitrary arrest and harassment of politicians and their supporters. All those detained solely for expressing peaceful dissent and denied bail across the country must be released immediately.”

President Hassan should honor the pledge she made last week, and ensure that the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly of everyone, including the political opposition, will be respected, protected, and promoted going forward
Sarah Jackson

The High Court Division of Corruption and Economic Sabotage Offences ordered the release of Freeman Mbowe and three of his co-accused, Halfan Bwire Hassan, Adam Hassan Kasekwa and Mohammed Abdillahi Ling’wenya, after the Director of Public Prosecution dropped terrorism charges against all of them.

The prosecution did not explain the reason for its decision to drop the charges.

Background:

Freeman Mbowe was arrested in the early hours of 21 July 2021 during a raid on a hotel in Mwanza, northern Tanzania hours before he was due to launch a programme calling for constitutional reforms in Tanzania.

Along with Halfan Bwire Hassan, Adam Hassan Kasekwa and Mohammed Abdillahi Ling’wenya, he was charged with a number of terrorism related charges. Mbowe separately faced charges of providing funds to commit terrorist acts, in “violation of the Economic and Organized Crime Control Act”.
source.https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/03/tanzania-president-hassan-should-do-more-to-guarantee-human-rights/?utm_source=annual_report&utm_medium=epub&utm_campaign=2021

 

[Igombe fisherman]

Muitafasiri bwana. Sisi tuliposhinda kwenda elimu ya upili tukaenda kulowa sato kabangaja. Hatujui kizungu bila msaada wa balimi na the kick

 

[Ushimen]

Alafu mkuu, ujue minakuheshim sana....🤨
Kwani hauna ya kiswahili..🤔

 

[Mwl.RCT]

Muitafasiri bwana. Sisi tuliposhinda kwenda elimu ya upili tukaenda kulowa sato kabangaja.

=SWAHILI =

Kuachiliwa kwa kiongozi wa upinzani wa Tanzania, Freeman Mbowe, ni hatua inayoelekea kwenye mwelekeo sahihi ambayo lazima ifuatwe na hatua madhubuti na yenye ufanisi kuhakikisha heshima kamili kwa haki za binadamu, ikiwa ni pamoja na haki za uhuru wa kujiunga, kukusanyika kwa amani na kujieleza, amesema Amnesty International leo.

Freeman Mbowe alikamatwa bila sababu na kuzuiliwa kwa mashtaka ya kisiasa, katikati ya operesheni kali dhidi ya upinzani wa Tanzania. Sarah Jackson, Naibu Mkurugenzi wa Afrika Mashariki, Pembe ya Afrika na Maziwa Makuu.

Freeman Mbowe alitumikia kifungo cha miezi minane kwa mashtaka ya ugaidi, ambayo yalifutwa kabla ya kuachiliwa kwake tarehe 4 Machi. Amnesty International inaitaka serikali ya Tanzania kusitisha mara moja matumizi ya sheria kama silaha dhidi ya upinzani na sauti za kikoso, na kufanya marekebisho kadhaa ikiwa ni pamoja na kushughulikia matumizi mabaya ya kifungu cha makosa yasiyo na dhamana chini ya Sheria ya Mwenendo wa Jinai ili kuwazuia watu gerezani kwa muda usiofaa, kwa madai kuwa uchunguzi zaidi unaendelea.

Baada ya kuachiliwa kwake, Mbowe alikutana na Rais Samia Suluhu Hassan katika Ikulu ya Serikali jijini Dar es Salaam, ambapo waliahidi kuungana ili "kujenga taifa, kupitia imani na heshima ya pamoja iliyojengwa juu ya misingi ya haki."

"Freeman Mbowe alikamatwa bila sababu na kuzuiliwa kwa mashtaka ya kisiasa, katikati ya operesheni kali dhidi ya upinzani wa Tanzania. Kuachiliwa kwake kunamaliza miezi minane ya ukosefu wa haki na lazima iwe ishara ya mwisho ya jitihada za mamlaka za Tanzania za kuangamiza upinzani wa kisiasa na maandamano ya amani," alisema Sarah Jackson, Naibu Mkurugenzi wa Amnesty International kwa Afrika Mashariki, Pembe ya Afrika na Maziwa Makuu.

"Sasa tunamtaka Rais Hassan atimize ahadi aliyotoa wiki iliyopita, na kuhakikisha kwamba haki za uhuru wa kujieleza, uhuru wa kujiunga na uhuru wa kukusanyika kwa amani kwa kila mtu, ikiwa ni pamoja na upinzani wa kisiasa, zitaheshimiwa, kulindwa na kukuza katika siku zijazo.

"Hii inamaanisha kumaliza kukamatwa kiholela na unyanyasaji wa wanasiasa na wafuasi wao. Wale wote wanaozuiliwa kwa sababu ya kutoa upinzani wa amani na kukataa dhamana kote nchini wanapaswa kuachiliwa mara moja."

Rais Hassan anapaswa kutimiza ahadi aliyotoa wiki iliyopita, na kuhakikisha kwamba haki za uhuru wa kujieleza, uhuru wa kujiunga na uhuru wa kukusanyika kwa amani kwa kila mtu, ikiwa ni pamoja na upinzani wa kisiasa, zitaheshimiwa, kulindwa na kukuza katika siku zijazo.
Sarah Jackson.

Mahakama Kuu ya Kugawa Kesi za Rushwa na Sabotaji wa Kiuchumi iliamuru kuachiliwa kwa Freeman Mbowe na washitakiwa wenzake watatu, Halfan Bwire Hassan, Adam Hassan Kasekwa na Mohammed Abdillahi Ling'wenya, baada ya Mkurugenzi wa Mashtaka ya Umma kuondoa mashtaka ya ugaidi dhidi yao wote.

Upande wa mashtaka haukKutoa sababu ya uamuzi wake wa kuondoa mashtaka.

Historia:

Freeman Mbowe alikamatwa mapema tarehe 21 Julai 2021 wakati wa uvamizi katika hoteli moja huko Mwanza, kaskazini mwa Tanzania, saa chache kabla ya kuzindua mpango wa kutaka mageuzi ya katiba nchini Tanzania.

Pamoja na Halfan Bwire Hassan, Adam Hassan Kasekwa na Mohammed Abdillahi Ling'wenya, alishtakiwa kwa mashtaka kadhaa yanayohusiana na ugaidi. Mbowe pekee alikabiliwa na mashtaka ya kutoa fedha kwa ajili ya kufanya vitendo vya kigaidi, "kukiuka Sheria ya Kudhibiti Uhalifu wa Kiuchumi na wa Kikundi".