The Human Rights Watch has condemned attacks protesters in Tanzania amid the announcement of President Samia Hassan as winner of the controversial presidential election. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the organisation said attacks on protesters violate international human rights law and the country’s constitution.

It stated, “The Tanzanian authorities’ violent and repressive response to election-related protests further undermines the credibility of the electoral process,” said Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The government has a responsibility to maintain security, but it needs to respect rights and ensure that all those responsible for violence are investigated and appropriately prosecuted.”

Several groups, including the Southern African Development Committee Electoral Observation Mission, the UK, Canadian and Norwegian missions expressed concerns over “large number” of killings recorded during the controversial poll, urging the country to act with maximum restraint and respect the right of assembly and freedom of expression.

Human Rights Watch decried the lockdown that prevented the media from being able to report on the elections and the ensuing protests, citing fatalities resulting from attacks on protesters.

“The authorities appear to have blocked foreign journalists from covering the elections by failing in some instances to respond to accreditation applications. The International Press Association of East Africa said it does not know of any journalists working for international media who were accredited to travel to the mainland to cover the elections,” it stated.

The organisation tasked “Tanzanian authorities to immediately end the use of excessive and lethal force against protests, urging them to take steps and ensure accountability for allegations of election-related killings, beatings and assaults by security forces.

It stated that Tanzania was obligated to respect everyone’s rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association under international human rights law and its constitution, urging the country to abide by the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.

“Under international human rights law, Tanzanian authorities should refrain from imposing internet shutdowns, disruptions, or blocking access to websites and platforms including before, during, and after elections,” the organisation said.