Amnesty International to present findings on Tanzania's threats to media

PRESS FREEDOM 

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch will on Monday, 28 October, 2019 present their findings at a joint press conference in regard to Tanzania's alleged threats to freedoms of association and expression.

Following two separate research missions to the country, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have published their findings, which are strikingly similar, in two reports.

According to a press release from Amnesty International, the report is titled: The Price We Pay: Targeted for Dissent by the Tanzanian State while Human Rights Watch's report is titled: As Long as I Am Quiet, I Am Safe": Threats to Independent Media and Civil Society in Tanzania.

 Ugandan Journalists covering the police weekly  briefing at Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala on October 21, 2019.Photo by Ramadhan Abbey

"Tanzania has sharply backslidden with respect to the freedoms of association and expression, undermining both media freedoms and civil society. Authorities have passed new legislation and enforced existing laws that repress independent reporting and restrict the work of media, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and political opposition groups," reads the statement.

The statement further notes that the president and other high-level officials have made hostile statements about rights issues, at times followed by enforcement actions cracking down on individuals and organizations seen as being critical of government policy.

"The growing restrictions on speech and association are particularly worrisome as elections, scheduled for 2020, approach," it reads.

President John Magufuli has been condemned for refusing to tolerate criticism of himself and his policies. Since he took over office in 2015, critics say Magufuli's government has squeezed press freedoms through harsh media laws and intimidation.
End