Introduction
During the 59th session of the Human Rights Council, DefendDefenders condemned the arrest, detention, and deportation of former officials and civil society members who had travelled to Tanzania to follow the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. As previously documented, among those targeted were Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, who were reportedly held incommunicado, stripped naked, tortured, and sexually abused before being expelled, acts that amount to grave human rights violations requiring full investigation and accountability. The organisation warned that with elections approaching, risks of further abuses were escalating, and urged UN and African mechanisms to step up scrutiny given Tanzania’s regional importance. In a right of reply, Tanzania’s ambassador to the UN, Dr. Abdallah Possi, dismissed the allegations, insisting that the country upholds its constitutional and international obligations and pointing to its history of peaceful multiparty elections. He argued that those expelled had misrepresented their purpose of travel, breaching immigration requirements.
Association
On 27th July 2025, human rights activist Mwabili Mwagodi, who was reported missing in Tanzania, was found abandoned near the Kenya-Tanzania border and taken to a hospital in Mombasa after suffering torture and ill-treatment. Rights groups said he was left in Lunga Lunga by suspected plainclothes Tanzanian officers before managing to reach Diani, where he was rescued and transferred for medical care. His family and colleagues reported that he had been interrogated about his political affiliations and activism, stripped of his travel documents and belongings, and held in isolation, where he was beaten and injected with unknown substances. Mwagodi, a vocal critic of President William Ruto and an organiser of protests against Kenya’s 2024 finance bill, was said to be in fragile health. Activists accused Kenyan authorities of further intimidation at the hospital. His experience mirrors earlier cases and underscores a troubling pattern of cross-border abductions and abuses targeting outspoken government critics in the region.
On 30th July 2025, a Tanzanian court adjourned for the fifth time the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. This postponement increased concerns over political repression in the lead-up to the October general election. As previously documented on the Monitor, Lissu was arrested in April 2025 and faces a capital offence that denies him bail. He will remain in custody until the trial concludes. The case stems from his “No Reforms, No Elections” campaign, which authorities allege to have involved spreading false information to incite public resistance to the polls. The adjournment followed a pending High Court decision on whether prosecution witnesses could testify behind partitions, raising serious fair trial concerns.
On 12th August, the High Court dismissed Lissu’s application challenging a Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court ruling that allowed the use of secret witnesses in a separate case under the Cybercrimes Act. Justice Elizabeth Mkwizu maintained that the lower court had balanced fair trial rights with witness security, but defence lawyer Dr. Rugemeleza Nshala criticised the decision as undermining transparency, arguing that the charges stemmed from a public speech and should not justify concealed testimony. He indicated that the defence may appeal, underscoring broader concerns about the deployment of restrictive legal provisions to constrain opposition voices.
The case was postponed again on 13th August to await a ruling on whether proceedings should be livestreamed once transferred to the High Court. While the prosecution insisted that banning live coverage was necessary to protect witnesses, Lissu argued that reversing the practice after preliminary hearings had been broadcast would amount to conducting the trial “in the dark” and deny the public insight into a case that carries the death penalty and involves a leading public figure. On 18th August 2025, the Magistrate’s Court banned the live coverage of the court case, citing it would help protect civilian prosecution witnesses. The order prohibited live streaming, live broadcasting, and any other form of real-time online or social media distribution of proceedings. While the court framed the decision as a measure to safeguard witnesses, the restriction raises concerns about transparency and public access to justice in a politically charged case.
Peaceful Assembly
On 16th August 2025, police in Dar es Salaam’s Special Zone raided a meeting by the opposition Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) party in Kibaha, Coast Region, arresting six party members and nearby residents, and seizing party documents along with cash. Those detained were transferred to the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam but were later released without explanation, raising questions over the legality of the arrests. The police also searched the meeting hall, vehicles and adjacent homes, actions that CHADEMA described as politically motivated and part of a broader campaign of intimidation against the opposition. The party condemned the raid as a misuse of state authority to undermine democratic participation and demanded public clarification from the police on the grounds for their intervention.
Expression
Tanzanian authorities deregistered the Glory of Christ Church, owned by ruling party legislator Josephat Gwajima, after he publicly accused the government of human rights violations in the run-up to the October elections. On 3rd June, police cordoned off the church in Dar es Salaam as hundreds of congregants gathered to protest the decision. In its deregistration letter, the registrar of societies claimed Gwajima’s sermons breached the expected conduct of religious organisations. The move followed a sermon in which Gwajima denounced arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances, warning his followers to remain vigilant. His remarks came shortly after activists reported torture by Tanzanian operatives following their arrest.