Lawyers and human rights activists have asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan over the killing of civilians by government forces after the recent election.
Organizations including the Human Rights Institute, Madrid Bar Association, Intelwatch, and World Jurist Association are calling for accountability for what they describe as systematic attacks on Tanzanian civilians.
According to the petition, President Hassan “bears ultimate responsibility for the crimes, having explicitly authorized violence against civilians.”
The petition claims that Tanzanian security forces have killed thousands of civilians, carried out forced disappearances, committed sexual violence, tortured detainees, and displaced Maasai communities.
The groups told the ICC that these acts represent “crimes against humanity” and involved the direct participation of top government officials, including the president and her security forces.
The petitioners urged the ICC to ensure justice for protesters who were killed while demanding free and fair elections, for activists who disappeared while defending human rights, and for journalists who were tortured for reporting the truth.
Meanwhile, opposition leader and Chadema Chairman Tundu Lissu, who is imprisoned on treason charges, said the October 29 election did not meet democratic or international standards. Speaking from Ukonga Prison in Dar es Salaam, Lissu described President Hassan as “not a legitimate president,” citing reports from the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The AU noted that the election did not follow international norms and failed to provide a peaceful or credible environment for voters.
SADC criticized heavy restrictions on the media, limits on freedom of expression, and low voter turnout at many polling stations. Despite these concerns, the electoral commission declared Hassan the winner with 98% of the vote.
