DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — A Tanzanian court on Friday charged more than 100 people with treason following violent protests that erupted after last month’s disputed election, as human rights groups condemned what they described as a deadly government crackdown on civilians.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the October 29 poll with 98 P.c of the vote, according to the electoral commission. However, opposition parties — most of which were barred from participating — have dismissed the results as a “sham,” sparking widespread unrest across the country.
Judicial sources told AFP that at least 138 people were charged in Dar es Salaam, with others facing prosecution in different regions. A charge sheet seen by reporters accused the defendants of intending “to obstruct” the election and intimidate the government by damaging state property.
Paul Kisabo, a lawyer with the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition, said some of the accused appeared in poor condition. “Some of them have been beaten, they are sick, and have not received medical treatment,” he told AFP, adding that because treason is a non-bailable offence, they will remain in detention until their next hearing.
Opposition party Chadema claimed at least 800 people were killed in the post-election violence — a figure corroborated by several diplomatic and security sources, who warned that the true toll could reach into the thousands. Authorities have so far declined to provide official casualty figures.
The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), together with six other civil society organisations, issued a joint statement condemning what they called “excessive use of force against unarmed demonstrators, including reprisal killings of civilians, some in their own homes.”
“Families have been left traumatized, and children have witnessed violence against their parents,” the statement said, warning that the full extent of human rights violations remains unknown due to an ongoing internet blackout and media restrictions.
Witnesses described scenes of horror in cities such as Mwanza and Arusha, where security forces allegedly opened fire on protesters.
“We saw people being shot in broad daylight. There were bodies all over the streets — some people were killed instantly, others left badly wounded,” said Amos Ntobi, a local Chadema official in Mwanza. “I have personally attended at least nine funerals, including two children aged nine and 11.”
The unrest has drawn widespread international concern, with observers from the African Union (AU) and regional blocs describing the vote as “compromised.” An initial AU report noted that Tanzanians were unable to “freely express their democratic will” amid intimidation, censorship, and the exclusion of opposition candidates.
The crackdown represents one of the gravest political crises in Tanzania’s recent history, raising fears of prolonged instability. Rights groups have urged the government to lift communication restrictions, release detained protesters, and open an independent inquiry into the killings.
As of Friday, internet access remained severely limited across much of the country, further obscuring the scale of the violence and hampering the flow of verified information.
