The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – the Human Rights Reports – cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The U.S. Department of State submits reports on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974.
Tanzania 2018 Reports on Human Rights Practices
Tanzania.
The government of Tanzania restricted freedom of peaceful assembly and association, including through bans decreed by authorities but not supported by law.
The government and police continued to limit the issuance of permits for public demonstrations and assemblies to political parties, NGOs, and religious organizations. The only political meetings allowed in principle are by MPs in their constituencies.
There were some reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
On February 17, police attempting to disperse an opposition gathering on the eve of by-elections unintentionally shot and killed Akwilina Akwiline. Six police officers were arrested and later released with no charges filed.
In the same month Daniel John, a member of the opposition CHADEMA party, who had been campaigning, was abducted and beaten to death by unknown assailants. Fellow party supporter Reginald Mallya was also abducted and found unconscious with a head wound and a broken arm.
In February Godfrey Luena, a CHADEMA party official, who had been working on the protection of land rights in the Morogoro Region was hacked to death with machetes by unknown assailants.
The deaths of John and Luena came a few months after the September 2017 attempted killing of Tundu Lissu, a well-known CHADEMA politician and then president of the Tanganyika Law Society. Lissu was shot multiple times but survived. No charges were made in connection with these crimes.
In November 2017 Mwananchi Communication journalist Azory Gwanda disappeared in Kibiti district in Pwani Region while reporting on a spate of unexplained killings in the area and remained missing at year’s end.
In July 2017 Kibondo District Council Chairman Simon Kanguye was abducted by unknown persons while leaving his office.
Ben Saanane, a CHADEMA policy analyst, also disappeared in late 2016. Investigations were ongoing, as the men remained missing at year’s end.
In February two opposition leaders, one a lawmaker, were sentenced to five months in prison as political prisoners for insulting President Magufuli in a move Freedom House said was “aimed at intimidating critics of the government.”
On October 31, opposition ACT-Wazalendo member of parliament (MP) Zitto Kabwe was arrested after publicly alleging that clashes between police and herdsmen in Kigoma had killed more than 100 persons. Kabwe was charged two days later with sedition and inciting hatred.
Between July and December 2017, the government demolished 2,000 houses along the Kimara-Kiluvya Road in Dar es Salaam without providing sufficient compensation.
On August 9, Tanzania Daima journalist Sitta Tuma was arrested and accused of unlawful assembly while covering the opposition by-election campaign in Tarime district in Mara Region.
In June the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) ruled that the government’s June 2017 ban of weekly tabloid Mawio for two years for publishing an article implicating two former presidents in corruption was illegal;
In July CHADEMA MP Halima Mdee was arrested and accused of insulting the president during a press conference after she criticized him for barring teenage mothers from school.
In February a court in the southern highlands sentenced CHADEMA MP Joseph Mbilinyi and local CHADEMA leader Emmanuel Masonga to two months in prison for insulting the president at a public rally held in December 2017.
In November 2017 the government ordered Channel Ten to apologize publicly for broadcasting the name and residence of a student allegedly sodomized by a motorcycle driver.
In August police arrested members of an opposition coalition for holding a public rally in Turwa Buyungi ward in advance of by-elections.
After the July release of survey results by independent East African NGO Twaweza showing that the president’s approval rating had dropped 41 percent over the past two years, immigration officials confiscated the passport of Twaweza’s executive director.
In January, five television stations were fined for covering a report by a human rights NGO that cited abductions and violence during a November 2017 by-election.
Following the release in March of an Easter message addressing domestic concerns by 27 bishops from the Lutheran Church, the registrar of societies requested that the church publicly retract its message and refrain from discussing political issues.
In December 2017 the government threatened to revoke the registration of any religious organization that mixed religion and politics after Zachary Kakobe, head of the Full Gospel Fellowship Church, criticized the president’s leadership in a Christmas sermon.
Read Full Report.
Tanzania Reports on Human Rights Practices
Tanzania 2018 Reports on Human Rights Practices
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The Report Released on March 13, 2019.
The Report Released on March 13, 2019.
Tanzania.
The government of Tanzania restricted freedom of peaceful assembly and association, including through bans decreed by authorities but not supported by law.
The government and police continued to limit the issuance of permits for public demonstrations and assemblies to political parties, NGOs, and religious organizations. The only political meetings allowed in principle are by MPs in their constituencies.
There were some reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
On February 17, police attempting to disperse an opposition gathering on the eve of by-elections unintentionally shot and killed Akwilina Akwiline. Six police officers were arrested and later released with no charges filed.
In the same month Daniel John, a member of the opposition CHADEMA party, who had been campaigning, was abducted and beaten to death by unknown assailants. Fellow party supporter Reginald Mallya was also abducted and found unconscious with a head wound and a broken arm.
In February Godfrey Luena, a CHADEMA party official, who had been working on the protection of land rights in the Morogoro Region was hacked to death with machetes by unknown assailants.
The deaths of John and Luena came a few months after the September 2017 attempted killing of Tundu Lissu, a well-known CHADEMA politician and then president of the Tanganyika Law Society. Lissu was shot multiple times but survived. No charges were made in connection with these crimes.
In November 2017 Mwananchi Communication journalist Azory Gwanda disappeared in Kibiti district in Pwani Region while reporting on a spate of unexplained killings in the area and remained missing at year’s end.
In July 2017 Kibondo District Council Chairman Simon Kanguye was abducted by unknown persons while leaving his office.
Ben Saanane, a CHADEMA policy analyst, also disappeared in late 2016. Investigations were ongoing, as the men remained missing at year’s end.
In February two opposition leaders, one a lawmaker, were sentenced to five months in prison as political prisoners for insulting President Magufuli in a move Freedom House said was “aimed at intimidating critics of the government.”
On October 31, opposition ACT-Wazalendo member of parliament (MP) Zitto Kabwe was arrested after publicly alleging that clashes between police and herdsmen in Kigoma had killed more than 100 persons. Kabwe was charged two days later with sedition and inciting hatred.
Between July and December 2017, the government demolished 2,000 houses along the Kimara-Kiluvya Road in Dar es Salaam without providing sufficient compensation.
On August 9, Tanzania Daima journalist Sitta Tuma was arrested and accused of unlawful assembly while covering the opposition by-election campaign in Tarime district in Mara Region.
In June the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) ruled that the government’s June 2017 ban of weekly tabloid Mawio for two years for publishing an article implicating two former presidents in corruption was illegal;
In July CHADEMA MP Halima Mdee was arrested and accused of insulting the president during a press conference after she criticized him for barring teenage mothers from school.
In February a court in the southern highlands sentenced CHADEMA MP Joseph Mbilinyi and local CHADEMA leader Emmanuel Masonga to two months in prison for insulting the president at a public rally held in December 2017.
In November 2017 the government ordered Channel Ten to apologize publicly for broadcasting the name and residence of a student allegedly sodomized by a motorcycle driver.
In August police arrested members of an opposition coalition for holding a public rally in Turwa Buyungi ward in advance of by-elections.
After the July release of survey results by independent East African NGO Twaweza showing that the president’s approval rating had dropped 41 percent over the past two years, immigration officials confiscated the passport of Twaweza’s executive director.
In January, five television stations were fined for covering a report by a human rights NGO that cited abductions and violence during a November 2017 by-election.
Following the release in March of an Easter message addressing domestic concerns by 27 bishops from the Lutheran Church, the registrar of societies requested that the church publicly retract its message and refrain from discussing political issues.
In December 2017 the government threatened to revoke the registration of any religious organization that mixed religion and politics after Zachary Kakobe, head of the Full Gospel Fellowship Church, criticized the president’s leadership in a Christmas sermon.
Read Full Report.
Tanzania Reports on Human Rights Practices