Tanzania charges 240 with treason after election unrest

A court in Tanzania has charged at least 240 people with treason following deadly protests that erupted after the recent election, which saw President Samia Suluhu Hassan declared the winner with 98 percent of the vote. The opposition, which was barred from participating, dismissed the poll as illegitimate. Security forces clashed with demonstrators, and various reports indicate that hundreds lost their lives, though authorities have downplayed the extent of the violence and maintained that the election process was fair.

Among those charged are prominent businesswoman Jenifer Jovin and several social media influencers, accused of inciting protests intended to disrupt the election. If convicted, the defendants could face the death penalty, although executions have not been carried out in Tanzania since the 1990s, with most sentences later commuted to life imprisonment. The crackdown has left the Kenyan community in Tanzania concerned for their safety, following reports of Kenyans killed or detained during the unrest. Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has sought assurances from Tanzanian authorities for the safety of Kenyan nationals and urged families to provide information about any relatives who may be in distress. Observers have questioned the credibility of the polls, noting the exclusion of key opposition figures and reports of targeted violence against foreign residents.