The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been formally requested to investigate severe human rights violations and a violent crackdown that allegedly followed Tanzania's 2025 general elections. Lawyers representing alleged victims, with support from the World Jurists Association and the Madrid Bar Association, submitted a comprehensive document to the ICC in The Hague. The document accuses the Tanzanian government of orchestrating post-election massacres across several regions of the country.

These allegations stem from Tanzania's general election last month, which was reportedly marred by widespread accusations of fraud, aggressive security operations, and nationwide unrest. Ahead of the election, major opposition candidates faced significant obstacles, including arrests and political exclusion. For instance, Tundu Lissu, the presidential candidate for the main opposition Party for Democracy and Progress, was arrested in April at a public rally and subsequently charged with treason and cybercrime offenses. Similarly, John Heche, a vice chairperson of the same party, was arrested in October and charged with terrorism, while Mr. Mbowe was reportedly released and then re-arrested in September.

President Samia Hassan was declared the winner with nearly 98 percent of the votes. However, numerous international election observation missions, including the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), swiftly characterized the results as fraudulent and lacking credibility, stating they failed to meet democratic standards.

As news of alleged electoral fraud spread during and after the election, protests erupted in major cities such as Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, and Arusha, quickly spreading nationwide. Demonstrators expressed their anger by setting fire to government buildings, burning posters of Ms. Hassan, and attempting to block roads. The security forces’ response was immediate and lethal. Lawyers allege that security forces were deployed across protest sites with explicit orders to suppress demonstrations by any means necessary.

Eyewitness accounts and video footage cited in the document reveal that security forces “opened fire on protesters with live ammunition,” with police and military officers allegedly “firing directly into crowds of unarmed civilians.” Beyond direct force, the Tanzanian government reportedly implemented a six-day internet shutdown, blocked VPN services, and restricted electricity access to prevent citizens from charging devices and documenting abuses. These measures were allegedly designed to impede protesters' organization via social media, block real-time documentation of violence, cut off international media access, and create an “information vacuum” in which mass atrocities could occur undetected.

Despite these restrictions, protests continued even after President Hassan’s victory declaration. In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, security forces reportedly conducted a coordinated assault on protest sites from October 30 through November 1. Demonstrators in areas like Kariakoo commercial district, Mwenge, and Ubungo allegedly faced “volleys of automatic weapons fire directed into crowds of unarmed civilians.” The document details how security forces pursued fleeing individuals into buildings, side streets, and homes, conducting house-to-house searches in opposition strongholds, accompanied by mass arrests, torture, and detentions.

The exact death toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout, intimidation of witnesses, and alleged disposal of bodies. Opposition parties like CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo estimate over 1,000 deaths, while Western diplomatic missions, relying on intelligence sources, estimate at least 500 deaths. The United Nations, under strict verification rules, has confirmed 10 deaths but acknowledged that the actual number is likely considerably higher due to restricted access.

In response, President Samia Hassan defended the actions of security forces, asserting that protesters had malicious intentions to overthrow her government. She claimed that young people were paid to take to the streets, stating: “These were not protests; it was violence with malicious intentions. What happened was a manufactured event, and those who planned it intended to bring down our government.” She further justified the use of force: “In that situation, the government has a responsibility, and we swear to defend this country and its borders, to protect the safety of citizens and their property. And in that case, the force used is proportional to the event.”