The European Union Parliament has approved a resolution imposing sanctions on Tanzania, citing serious human rights violations linked to the country’s October 2025 presidential elections.
The decision was reached on November 27, 2025, during the Parliament’s plenary session held in Brussels. Lawmakers reviewed a report detailing rights abuses registered before, during, and after the polls.
According to the resolution, the 2025 elections were marked by “grave human rights violations, numerous deaths, and widespread injuries.” Members of Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of sanctions, with 539 supporting the measure and only 27 abstaining.
As part of the penalties, the EU suspended €156 million—equivalent to roughly 400 billion Tanzanian shillings—in financial assistance previously allocated to Tanzania.
The Parliament urged the Tanzanian government to “engage in genuine political dialogue with opposition groups, civil society organizations, and communities affected by the violence, in order to pave the way for transparent and credible future elections.”
EU lawmakers also called for the release of detained political figures, including opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Tanzania held its presidential elections in October 2025, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan declared the winner with 98% of the vote. The results triggered unrest and protests, fueled by accusations of electoral fraud.
Human rights organizations reported several deaths during the post-election violence—claims the Tanzanian government continues to deny.
Recently, legal representatives of families who lost loved ones in the unrest petitioned the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), requesting a formal investigation into the events and accountability for those responsible.