UN rights chief calls for a probe into killings in Tanzania and allegations of concealing evidence
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The United Nations on Tuesday called for an investigation into what appears to be hundreds or more people believed to have died during a protest. controversial election Presidential candidates of the two main opposition parties have been banned in Tanzania.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said there had been “a blatant attempt to conceal the evidence”. reports He said police were taking bodies from morgues to undisclosed locations and urged authorities to release bodies to families for burials.
The main opposition party, Chadema, said that approximately 2,000 people were killed in the three-day protests following the October 29 elections. The government has not yet announced the official death toll.
The UN statement stated that “hundreds” of people were believed to have been killed, but the figures could not be confirmed due to the unstable security situation in Tanzania and the country’s internet outage that lasted for six days after the elections.
Videos of people apparently shot by security guards were shared online shortly after internet connectivity resumed, but the government warned Tanzanians that anyone sharing videos and photos of the dead would be arrested and charged with treason.
Officials also He accused hundreds of people of treason Due to anti-government protests related to the elections.
The UN human rights office has called for the unconditional release of all arrested opposition party officials, including Chadema’s party leader, Tundu Lissu, whose treason trial was postponed on Monday over what the prosecutor said were security concerns.
On Tuesday, newly elected members of parliament in the October 29 elections were sworn in in parliament, where the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party has an overwhelming majority. The new parliament elected the ruling party’s Mussa Zungu as president.
Tensions remain high in the East African country, where the ruling party has suppressed opposition parties and sought to tighten its grip on power for decades.
