United Nations human rights experts have raised concern over the continued delay in delivering justice to victims of the October 2025 post-election violence in Tanzania, saying hundreds of people affected by the unrest are still waiting for answers one year later.
In a statement issued in Geneva, the experts criticised the Tanzanian government for failing to publicly release the findings of a Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the violence, despite the commission having completed its work several months ago.
The experts said victims of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and torture were yet to receive justice or accountability, while families continued to seek information about their missing relatives.
“There has been no justice or accountability for the hundreds of victims of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and those subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” the experts said.
The violence, which followed Tanzania’s October 2025 general election, was reportedly characterised by the excessive use of force by security agencies, internet shutdowns and intimidation of journalists and human rights defenders.
Despite the seriousness of the reported violations, the experts noted that no State officials had been charged over the incidents, raising concerns about the government’s commitment to holding those responsible accountable.
The Commission of Inquiry was established in November 2025 by the Office of the President and submitted its final report in April 2026.
However, the summary of its findings reportedly failed to identify those responsible, recommend prosecutions or outline measures for individual accountability.
The UN experts called on the government to publish the full report without further delay, warning that withholding the findings undermines victims’ right to truth and justice.
They also raised concerns over a second Commission of Inquiry established in August 2026, whose mandate and scope of work remain unclear.
The experts said its engagement with victims had reportedly been limited and urged authorities to provide more information about its objectives and make its findings public once completed.
The experts further highlighted reports of hundreds of people remaining in prolonged pre-trial detention over treason and terrorism-related charges. Other concerns included alleged mass graves, continued enforced disappearances, bodies being removed from morgues and police using protest footage to identify demonstrators.
They warned that the human rights situation in the country continued to deteriorate, with families of victims, civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders reportedly facing threats, intimidation and surveillance.
Opposition National Chairman Tindu Antipas Mughwai Lissu was also cited among those facing continued repression. Lissu has been in custody since April 2025 after being charged with treason, an offence that carries the death penalty in Tanzania.
His detention was previously declared arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. He is awaiting a court judgment scheduled for November 6, 2026.
Reports indicate that he began a hunger strike on October 26 in protest against restrictions on his access to lawyers.
The UN experts condemned what they described as escalating attacks against civil society organisations, journalists, human rights defenders and legal professionals who have questioned the handling of the case.
They called on Tanzanian authorities to end intimidation and ensure the independence of judges, lawyers and prosecutors, while demanding independent, prompt and impartial investigations into the reported violations.
The experts said they had already raised their concerns with the Tanzanian government and reiterated the need for justice, accountability and reparations for those affected by the violence.
