(Nairobi) – Tanzanian authorities have wrongfully arrested alleged protest organizers and opposition supporters ahead of nationwide protests called for December 9, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should end its crackdown and immediately release all those arbitrarily detained.
Activists have urged people to demonstrate peacefully on Tanzania’s Independence Day, known as D9, against the police use of lethal force around the October 29 general elections. The government cancelled the official Independence Day celebrations after President Samia Suluhu Hassan directed that funds for the celebration be used to restore infrastructure damaged during the election unrest. On December 3, police announced that they were arresting people who commit “online offenses” and have been “closely monitoring” social media calls for protests.
“The Tanzanian government is building on the alarming climate of fear that prevailed prior to the elections to deter further protests,” said Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should end their crackdown and respect the right of Tanzanians to peacefully express their views.”
Since mid-November, the police have confirmed the arrest of at least 10 activists and political opposition supporters for online posts connected to the planned protests. In several cases, the police confirmed the arrests days after social media posts began circulating that unidentified people in civilian clothes had abducted the suspects.
On November 13, the police announced that that they had arrested Ambrose Leonce Dede in central Tanzania’s Ikungi district. They accused him of “organizing and promoting crime through a WhatsApp Group … under the umbrella of peaceful protests.” The police identified Dede as a member of the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema), the main opposition party, and warned citizens to “avoid engaging in online communication groups run by people who have planned and continue to plan to commit crimes in the country under the guise of peaceful protests.”
On November 19, police in Geita confirmed that they were holding Kibaba Furaha Michael, a hospital worker and an administrator of a Tanzania doctors’ union WhatsApp group, two days after he was reported missing. A person familiar with the case told Human Rights Watch that the arrest appeared to be connected to posts Michael had made in the group encouraging participation in the forthcoming demonstrations.
On November 21, the police in Mbeya arrested Clemence Mwandambo, a teacher known for criticizing the government online, and accused him of circulating “provocative” messages on Facebook and Instagram.
On November 28, police confirmed that they were holding Winfrida Charles Malembeka on allegations that she had published “inflammatory information” and was “inciting violence and protests” for December 9 through social media. The police did not specify the content or platforms.
The authorities have ramped up arrests of Chadema supporters ahead of the protests without apparent legal basis.
On November 21, police announced that they were detaining Victoria Swebe, the Chadema chairperson for Kyela district, along with three others, on suspicion of “incitement.” Swebe had been reported missing three days earlier. Chadema reported that another party member, Shabani Mabala, was abducted on November 29 by individuals who identified themselves as police officers. On the same day, Chadema reported that police arrested another party supporter, Lucy Shayo, in Tanga, and was holding her without charge.
Prior to the December 9 protests, the authorities appear to have intensified digital harassment and surveillance of activists, Human Rights Watch said.
On November 12 at around 9 p.m., police raided a hotel in Dar es Salaam and confiscated laptops, phones, and identity cards belonging to staff of the Legal and Human Rights Center while they were working at the hotel. The officers told the staff to report to the Zonal Crimes Office in Dar es Salaam the following morning, where their items were returned. A lawyer familiar with the case said that the police questioned the staff about allegedly conducting research on election violence.
The technology company Meta reported in its December Content Restrictions report that it had removed and restricted access to content in Tanzania following a request from the Tanzanian Communications Regulatory Authority to restrict access to three Instagram accounts for allegedly violating Tanzanian law. Meta said the items included “calls for peaceful protests and contained criticism of the government during the election period.”
On November 28, the United States embassy in Dar es Salaam issued a statement warning US citizens that “security forces have searched electronics for evidence of connection to unrest or politically sensitive content.”
Several regional and global bodies, including United Nations human rights experts, as well as Human Rights Watch, have raised concerns about extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and mass arbitrary detentions of protesters, opposition figures, and civil society activists following the elections.
On November 18, the Office of the President announced the formation of an independent commission, consisting of former state officials and retired civil servants to “investigate events that led to the breach of peace during and after the general elections.” The commission contains no members of civil society or the political opposition. On November 29, President Hassan asked the commission to investigate who had paid “those young people who took to the streets to demand rights.”
The government should reconsider the mandate of the commission, take steps to impartially ensure accountability for allegations of election-related killings, beatings, and assaults by security forces and unidentified persons, ensure broad participation in investigations, and hold those responsible accountable, Human Rights Watch said.
Both Tanzanian and international law guarantee freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention and protect everyone’s right to freely express opinions, associate, and peacefully assemble without any undue restrictions. Regional bodies, including the African Union Peace and Security Council and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, should urge the Tanzanian authorities to uphold these obligations, end the harassment of critics, and cooperate with independent, rights-focused inquiries into post-election abuses.
“It’s vitally important at this critical time for the Tanzanian authorities to focus on ensuring justice and accountability for the many serious rights violations following the elections,” Nyeko said. “Anything short of this will be a disservice to the many victims and to all Tanzanians’ fundamental rights.”
