Fifteen European countries have issued a strong joint appeal urging the Tanzanian government to release the bodies of individuals killed during the October general elections and to immediately free all political prisoners. The call follows mounting international concern over the country’s post-election human rights situation.
In their coordinated statement, the EU Delegation, the British High Commission, the Canadian High Commission, and several European embassies said they had received credible reports of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and bodies being hidden from families.
The diplomatic missions emphasized that withholding the bodies of the deceased not only deepens the suffering of affected families but also obstructs accountability efforts aimed at uncovering the full extent of the election-related violence.
Members of the European Parliament have also increased pressure on Tanzania by calling for targeted sanctions against senior officials deemed responsible for violations. Their resolution condemned what they described as a deteriorating political climate marked by repression and abuse.
Particular attention was drawn to the arrest of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who was detained amid broader reports of kidnappings, killings, and intimidation of government critics. The European Parliament argued that such actions constitute a direct attack on democratic freedoms.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the election with more than 98% of the vote, a result that opposition groups and several international observers have challenged as neither credible nor transparent.
The situation has sparked calls for an independent investigation to determine the scale of alleged abuses, as activists and families continue to report missing persons and unreturned bodies following the electoral unrest.
European partners urged the Tanzanian government to uphold its human rights obligations, engage constructively with international actors, and ensure accountability for all violations documented since the election.
