Ahead of the United Republic of Tanzania’s appearance before the UN Human Rights Council on 5 November 2026, Freemuse and Selam have submitted a joint Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report commenting on the state of artistic freedom in Tanzania. The UPR process of every UN member State is conducted every four and a half years, and Tanzania will be reporting on the country’s human rights record in accordance with the regional and human rights instruments which binds it.
In their submission, Freemuse and Selam highlight positive artistic freedom developments that have been realised in Tanzania since the last review in 2021, notably the reduction of artist fees; a commitment from the National Arts Council to focus on arts promotion and not a censorship role; and the establishment of ministerial committees tasked with creating an enabling environment for the enjoyment of artistic freedom.
While acknowledging the progressiveness of these developments, Freemuse and Selam raise a number of concerns regarding the continued repression of artists and the censorship of their artistic content. There is the criminalisation of unregistered artists and artistic content disseminated without a permit, a system that enables the prosecution, sanctioning and excessive fining of artists found to be in violation of these registration measures. The National Arts Council, in the execution of its mandate, unduly regulates artists in their private lives on grounds of safeguarding ‘ethics,’ and further has the power to veto international mobility based on a system that requires artists to apply for a permit before travelling abroad for artistic activities.
Dissenting and critical artistic expressions deemed to be contrary to national values, norms and morals are especially subjected to arbitrary restrictions in Tanzania, through various laws that regulate decency, cybercrimes, defamation and national security. Of particular concern is that these laws are susceptible to abuse due to their overly broad and vague provisions which disproportionately restrict legitimate expression. Several cases are presented in the report to illustrate the severity of punishments that are imposed for dissenting expressions. These include the enforced disappearance of Shadrack Chaula, a portrait painter who had previously been sentenced to two years imprisonment in lieu of a fine, for a TikTok post in which the burnt the President’s portrait, and TikTok content creator, Jenifer Jovin, who was charged for conspiracy to commit treason for social media posts deemed to incite protests against the government.
Restrictions to freedom of expression within the context of democratic elections have also continued to be a point of concern in Tanzania, despite calls by African Union and UN human rights experts for State authorities to refrain from using force when policing protests, and to ensure uninterrupted and unrestricted internet access. In the immediate aftermath of October 2025 general elections, there was an internet shutdown, the arrest of artists and content creators, among others, for expressing concern about human rights violations, and the use of police brutality in the regulation of largely peaceful protests. In the lead up to this intensified crackdown on free expression, there was the arbitrarily detention of Ugandan author Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan photojournalist Boniface Mwagi who had travelled to the country to express solidarity with Tanzanians prosecuted on political grounds.
In the UPR submission, Freemuse and Selam make a number of recommendations to the Tanzanian authorities, covering legislation reform, the independence of regulatory bodies and the suspension of censorship mechanisms. As the submission is made, the human rights situation in Tanzania continues to decline, with the continued shrinkage of civic space and increasing self-censorship by artists. Freemuse and Selam will continue to monitor developments.
Read the UPR report here.
