Tanzanian authorities have charged a considerable number of of citizens with treason following violent unrest tied to the country’s disputed 2025 general election.
According to court documents, seventy-six people appeared before prosecutors in Dar es Salaam on Friday, accused of plotting to disrupt the October 29 polls “for the purpose of intimidating” state authorities. The group is also facing charges of criminal conspiracy.
The treason cases come as Tanzania battles with the aftermath of one of its most chaotic elections in recent history. Rights groups and international observers say the election was neither free nor fair, citing widespread intimidation, media restrictions, and voter suppression.
Deadly clashes occurred in several regions after the election, with opposition supporters clashing with security forces. The main opposition party, Chadema, claims that over 1,000 people were killed and accused authorities of attempting to cover up the true death toll by secretly disposing of bodies. Officials have yet to release an official casualty count.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, was declared the winner with more than 97 percent of the vote, according to the electoral commission. Her main opponents, Tundu Lissu of Chadema and Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, were both barred from contesting, prompting condemnation from human rights organizations.
Amnesty International disclosed a series of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the run-up to the polls, allegations the Tanzanian government has denied.
READ ALSO: 2025 Tanzania election: Samia Hassan declared winner with 97% of votes
The African Union, which deployed a team of observers during the election, issued a damning report this week, stating that the vote “did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections.”
Observers made a report about ballot stuffing, instances of voters receiving multiple ballots, and widespread irregularities. They concluded that the political climate was “not conducive to peaceful conduct and acceptance of electoral outcomes.”
While the opposition continues to challenge both the election results and alleged erosion of democracy under President Hassan’s leadership, the news about some citizens being charged with treason comes as another chapter in Tanzania’s deepening political crisis.
