Tanzanian prosecutors have charged 98 people with treason over their alleged involvement in violent protests that erupted during last week’s general election, according to court filings reviewed by Reuters.
The protests, which the opposition says left more than 1,000 people dead, followed widespread anger over the exclusion of key opposition candidates from the presidential race. The government has dismissed the reported death toll as exaggerated and has not released its own figures.
The charges, filed at the Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam on Friday, mark the first formal prosecutions related to the post-election violence. Prosecutors alleged that the accused “formed an intention to obstruct the 2025 general election for the purpose of intimidating the Executive of the Republic of Tanzania” and caused damage to government property.
The documents provided few details about individual defendants, except one — a businesswoman previously arrested for allegedly promoting demonstrations. She is accused of encouraging protesters to buy tear gas masks from her store before the rallies.
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None of the defendants are known public figures, and many reportedly lack legal representation. Boniface Mwabukusi, president of Tanzania’s main lawyers’ association, said he believed most of the accused did not yet have counsel.
Government spokespersons did not respond to calls or text messages seeking comment.
Religious and civic leaders have urged restraint and dialogue in the wake of the charges. Bishop Benson Bagonza of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania warned that the treason prosecutions could further inflame tensions.
“The only option for the government to keep at least the relative peace now is to grieve with the people instead of arresting and taking them to court,” Bagonza said.
Opposition leaders from CHADEMA, the country’s main opposition party, have accused security forces of using excessive force against demonstrators. The unrest erupted after electoral authorities barred CHADEMA leader Tundu Lissu and another major opposition candidate from the presidential contest.
The National Electoral Commission declared incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner with nearly 98% of the vote. She was sworn in on Monday for another term.
Observers from the African Union said the election was not credible, citing reports of ballot box stuffing and intimidation at polling stations. The Tanzanian government rejected those findings, insisting the vote was free and fair.
Lissu himself was charged with treason in April, months before the election, in what his party described as part of a wider crackdown on dissent.
The mass treason charges underscore Tanzania’s deepening political divide following the disputed poll. Human rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the reported killings and for the government to engage in reconciliation efforts rather than punitive measures.
As of Friday, none of the 98 accused had entered pleas, and no trial date has been set.