Thread by @MariaSTsehai

Tanzania: Freedoms Threatened Ahead of Elections hrw.org/news/2020/09/0…
#Tanzania authorities have stepped up repression of opposition parties, nongovernmental organizations, and the media ahead of the country’s general elections
This @hrw report is tip of the iceberg!

"Two editors of independent newspapers, .. said that officials had informally told them not to publish material that the government would not like... they had been “subtly warned” not to give prominent coverage to .. @TunduALissu and @BenMembe "
@hrw
#Tanzania

"The authorities have suspended organizations for perceived political activities and for work protecting the rights of LGBT people"
hrw.org/news/2020/09/0…
Forget about even basic human rights!
@hrw
#Tanzania

"The authorities have arbitrarily arrested outspoken critics of the government and of the elections process. On June 23, police arrested @zittokabwe and seven other opposition members during an internal meeting of their opposition party, ACT Wazalendo, in Kilwa" @hrw #Tanzania

"On July 11, the police arrested @PondaIssa secretary of the Council of Imams, in #Tanzania, for “allegedly circulating a document containing elements of incitement and breach of peace..” after calling for the government to ensure independent and fair elections" @hrw Outrageous!

"The police arrested eight members of Chadema, #Tanzania’s main opposition party, including its youth wing chairperson, @hanje_nusrat Nusrat in the Singida region, west of Dodoma, on July 6" @hrw
THEY ARE STILL IN JAIL #FreeNusrat
Where is @UNHumanRights ? Is this tolerable?

"The media reported that on the night of June 8, unidentified assailants attacked and beat @freemanmbowetz , @ChademaTz ’s chairman, as he returned in the national capital, Dodoma, breaking his leg" @hrw
This is #Tanzania
Election violence started very early!

"The authorities have suspended licenses of media companies and summoned media professionals over coverage deemed controversial, including reporting on Covid-19" @hrw #Tanzania
A completely Kafka-esque scenario but sadly very real!
#ChangeTanzania

"On April 20, Zanzibar authorities suspended the license of Talib Ussi Hamad, a journalist with Tanzania Daima, because of a Facebook post in which he said that another journalist had the coronavirus"
This is #Tanzania - not fiction but REALITY!
Could qualify as tragi-comedy!

"On April 2, TCRA fined Star Media Tanzania Limited, Multichoice Tanzania Limited, and Azam Digital Broadcast Limited 5 million Tanzania shillings ($2,155) each for disseminating “false and misleading information about #Tanzania’s stance on Covid-19”" @hrw
cc @EU_Commission

"On July 6, TCRA banned @kwanza_tv .. for 11 months because of its Instagram post reporting on a Covid-19 health alert by the United States Embassy about #Tanzania. The authority’s summons letter to Kwanza TV accused the station of being “unpatriotic.”" @hrw
cc @eucopresident

“If #Tanzania Tanzania's elections are going to be free and fair, the government needs to allow rights groups and the media to work independently, and for political opposition and critics to express their views freely." @oryembley @hrw
The world should not keep quiet either!