Tanzania / Africa

Nairobi, July 9, 2020 — Tanzania’s broadcasting regulator should immediately lift its suspension of Kwanza Online TV and stop weaponizing regulations against critical media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 2, the Contents Committee of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, a department within the country’s broadcast regulator, sent a letter to…

Nairobi, June 26, 2020 – Tanzanian authorities should immediately restore Tanzania Daima’s license and allow all newspapers to publish freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In a June 23 statement, Tanzania’s Information Services Department, which registers print media, announced it would revoke Tanzania Daima’s distribution and publication license as of June 24, according…

On April 16, 2020, Tanzania’s communications regulator banned the privately owned Mwananchi newspaper from publishing online for six months and fined it five million Tanzanian shillings ($2,173) for allegedly publishing false news, according to a public notice by the regulator and a report by the newspaper’s sister publication, The Citizen.

Nairobi, April 9, 2020— In response to a Tanzanian court’s conviction yesterday of Maxence Melo, founder of the online discussion and whistleblowing platform Jamii Forums, on charges of obstructing police investigations, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement:

Nairobi, February 24, 2020 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed the release of Tanzanian freelance journalist Erick Kabendera but expressed concern about the hefty fines levied against him.

On September 27, 2019, Tanzania’s broadcasting regulator suspended the privately owned internet-based broadcaster Kwanza Online TV for six months and fined two other online stations, Watetezi TV and Ayo TV, according to statements by Kwanza Online TV and the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition, a network of local nongovernmental organizations, which owns Watetezi TV.

Nairobi, September 16, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over Tanzania’s use of false news and journalist accreditation laws to arrest Sebastian Atilio.

Nairobi, August 30, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern about reports that detained Tanzanian journalist Erick Kabendera’s health is failing and called for Tanzanian authorities to release him immediately.

Nairobi, August 23—The Committee to Protect Journalists today said it is concerned for the welfare of investigative journalist Joseph Gandye, who was arrested yesterday and handed over to police on whom he had reported critically, alleging they had abused other detainees.