This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
On December 3, 2019, Tanzania made a move that has sparked international concern over human rights. The country has withdrawn its right to be sued directly at the African Court on Human and People's Rights (AfCHPR), a decision that has been met with criticism from Amnesty International.
The global watchdog has expressed its concerns over the move, stating that it will deepen repression in Tanzania. The country has the highest number of cases filed by individuals and NGOs at the Arusha-based court, with 28 out of 70 decisions issued by AfCHPR by September 2019 being on Tanzania.
Earlier this year, the African Court ruled that a section of the Tanzanian penal code, which provides for mandatory death sentence in capital offences, violates the right to fair trial and undermines judicial independence, as well as the right to life. The move to withdraw from the court has been met with local and international concern, with Amnesty International's Africa Advocacy Coordinator, Japhet Biegon, stating that the withdrawal of rights will rob people and organizations in Tanzania of a vital avenue to justice.
"This move effectively blocks individuals and NGOs in the country from directly going to the court to seek redress for human rights violations in what is clearly a cynical attempt to evade accountability," Biegon said.
Tanzania becomes the second country after Rwanda to withdraw the right of individuals and NGOs to directly access the African Court, a vital continental judicial body in the face of State interference in some justice systems.
