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Tanzanian authorities have escalated a campaign of repression targeting opposition figures, journalists, and civil society in the run-up to the October 29 general elections, according to a new Amnesty International briefing.
The rights group says the government’s actions reflect a deliberate strategy to entrench political dominance and stifle dissent through fear and coercion.
Amnesty’s report, titled “Unopposed, Unchecked, Unjust: The Disquiet Beneath the 2025 Tanzania Vote”, documents a pattern of arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, abductions, and enforced disappearances across the country.
Based on interviews with 43 victims, witnesses, and legal experts, the organization concludes that the human rights situation has worsened under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.
“President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government has dashed hopes for reform,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. “Instead, authorities have intensified repressive practices targeting opposition leaders, civil society, journalists, and dissenting voices, with nobody held accountable.”
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Party is expected to dominate the upcoming elections, with two major opposition contenders sidelined.
Luhaga Mpina was recently disqualified for a second time from the presidential race, while Tundu Lissu, leader of the main opposition Chadema party, faces non-bailable treason charges.
Amnesty calls the charges politically motivated and urges authorities to immediately release all individuals detained for their political beliefs.
The report accuses security agencies of using violence and intimidation to silence opposition.
Amnesty cited the killing of Ali Mohammed Kibao, a Chadema strategist whose body was found near the Indian Ocean in September 2024 after an abduction in Dar es Salaam.
Other opposition members, including party official Dioniz Kipanya and several youth activists, remain missing.
The Tanganyika Law Society has documented 83 cases of disappearances under mysterious circumstances as of August 2024.
“The persistence of abductions and killings, with no accountability, demonstrates a deeply entrenched culture of impunity,” said Chagutah. Amnesty called for thorough and impartial investigations into all reported abuses.
Beyond physical violence, authorities are accused of weaponizing the legal system to suppress dissent. Opposition leader Lissu has remained in detention since April 2025, charged with treason and publishing false information following comments he made online.
Amnesty reports that dozens of his supporters were arrested outside the Kisutu Magistrate Court during one of his hearings. Several later described being beaten and abandoned in remote forest areas outside Dar es Salaam.
In one account, a survivor recalled: “A man thrust a sharp object through my ankle while others filmed and mocked us. It was clear they wanted to send a message.”
Amnesty also points to restrictive new laws that undermine civic participation. Amendments to the Political Parties Affairs Laws Act 2024 and the Independent National Electoral Commission Act 2024 have, according to the group, consolidated state control over political processes and further limited opposition activity.
“These legislative changes demonstrate the authorities’ zero tolerance of any opposing views—both offline and online,” said Chagutah.
The report highlights systemic curbs on freedom of expression, movement, and assembly.
Opposition gatherings have been banned or violently disrupted, while some activists have faced travel restrictions.
Chadema’s deputy secretary-general, Amani Golugwa, was detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport in May 2025 as he prepared to travel to Brussels for a democracy forum. Police reportedly accused him of sharing information that “dishonoured” the country.
Rights observers say the clampdown risks undermining the credibility of the upcoming elections.
“Without sustained international pressure, the 2025 vote could become a procedural exercise devoid of legitimacy,” Chagutah warned.
Amnesty’s findings echo its 2020 report, “Lawfare: Repression by Law Ahead of Tanzania’s General Elections,” which documented similar tactics under former President John Magufuli.
While President Hassan initially reversed some of her predecessor’s restrictive measures—lifting bans on media outlets and permitting opposition rallies—Amnesty argues that her administration has reverted to authoritarian practices as the election nears.
Human rights advocates now fear that Tanzania’s brief democratic opening under Hassan may be closing rapidly. As one civil society leader told Amnesty: “The promises of reform were just words. What we are seeing now is a return to the old playbook—silence the critics, control the narrative, and secure the vote at any cost.”