Tanzania charges dozens with treason over election protests

Church person Benson Bagonza says the determination would lone deepen the acrimony sparked by the election.

Prosecutors successful Tanzania person charged dozens of radical with treason implicit a question of deadly protests sparked by a disputed election.

At slightest 76 radical were accused of intending to obstruct the October 29 election, The Associated Press quality bureau reported connected Friday, citing the complaint sheet.

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The Reuters quality bureau reported that astatine slightest 145 radical were charged with treason for alleged engagement successful the protests, citing tribunal documents.

In summation to treason, the suspects besides look transgression conspiracy charges, The AP reported.

Specific charges were lone outlined against 1 person, a businesswoman who prosecutors allege encouraged protesters to bargain tear-gas masks from her concern during the demonstrations.

Human rights activists and the main absorption enactment Chadema said information forces killed much than 1,000 radical during the protests. The authorities rejects the figure, but has not offered its ain decease toll.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was sworn successful connected Monday, won with astir 98 percent of the vote, successful an predetermination that the African Union (AU) said failed to adhere to antiauthoritarian standards.

The AU’s monitoring limb cited ballot stuffing, the government-imposed net blackout, allegations of excessive subject unit and politically motivated abductions arsenic actions “compromising predetermination integrity”.

The 2 starring absorption candidates were controversially barred from competing successful the vote, with the Chadema person Tundu Lissu inactive successful situation connected treason charges that were brought successful April.

Religious leaders were among those who urged the authorities to effort to reconcile with governmental opponents and protesters successful the aftermath of the unrest.

Benson Bagonza, a bishop successful the country’s Evangelical Lutheran Church successful Tanzania, said the charges would apt marque tensions worse.

“The lone enactment for the authorities to support astatine slightest the comparative bid present is … to grieve with the radical alternatively of arresting and taking radical to court,” helium said.

On Friday, the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) and six different NGOs issued a associated connection condemning the “excessive usage of unit against unarmed demonstrators, including reprisal killings of civilians, immoderate successful their ain homes”.

“Families person been near traumatised, and children person witnessed unit against their parents,” it said, adding that hundreds had been detained and that the “extent of quality rights abuses is yet to beryllium afloat uncovered”.

Chadema enactment caput Amos Ntobi believes hundreds were killed successful his bluish Mwanza portion alone.

“We saw radical being changeable successful wide daylight. There were bodies each implicit the streets — immoderate radical were killed instantly, others near severely wounded,” helium told the AFP quality agency.

Hassan became president successful 2021 aft her predecessor, John Magufuli, unexpectedly died.

Since then, watchdogs person expressed expanding alarm astatine her administration’s actions, which are alleged to see the forced disappearance and torture of critics.