investigations as to why it was published. On 20 April, the Tanzania Human Rights Uhuru resumed publication on 27 August. Defenders Coalition (THRDC), made up of On 5 September, the Information Services more than 160 members, including human Department suspended Raia Mwema rights defenders and NGOs, announced that newspaper for 30 days, on allegations it its bank accounts had been unfrozen. The repeatedly violated professional journalistic police had ordered a commercial bank in standards and broke the law by publishing Tanzania to freeze the accounts in August reports that were misleading and amounted 2020, claiming it had failed to submit to the to incitement to violence. Office of the Treasury Registrar its contractual On 23 September, the police arrested agreements with donors, leading the THRDC cartoonist Optatus Fwema at his home in the to suspend operations during that period. Bunju area of Dar es Salaam after he posted a caricature of the president on social media. 1. “Tanzania: President’s new Covid-19 taskforce a positive move but He was detained at Oysterbay police station the work starts now”, 26 April where he was denied access to a lawyer, 2. “Tanzania: Release opposition leader and party members”, 21 July including during interrogation. Optatus 3. Tanzania: A chance to Prioritize Human Rights: Amnesty International Fwema was released on bail on 8 October Submission for the UN Universal Periodic Review, 39th Session of the after he was arraigned in a Dar es Salaam UPR Working Group, November 2021 (Index: AFR 56/3885/2021), 25 court and charged with publishing false March information online. He was facing trial at the end of the year. On 2 October, Harold Shemsanga, a THAILAND journalist for Mgawe TV, and six women members of Chadema were arrested while Kingdom of Thailand out jogging. They were charged with illegal Head of state: Maha Vajiralongkorn assembly and held at Mbweni police station Head of government: Prayut Chan-O-Cha in Dar es Salaam before being released on 4 October without being brought before a court. The government redoubled its efforts to HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS restrict the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Police used The authorities subjected human rights excessive force against protesters. defenders to arbitrary arrest and detention, Authorities judicially harassed and prosecution, intimidation, harassment and arbitrarily detained pro-democracy activists threats. On 5 January, a court in Dar es and human rights defenders. Proposed Salaam released human rights lawyer Tito legislation on torture and enforced Magoti, and his co-accused Theodory Giyani. disappearance did not comply with They had been arrested in December 2019 Thailand’s international human rights in connection with social media activities and obligations. Authorities increased the use of charged under the Economic and Organized lèse-majesté laws and criminally accused at Crimes Control Act 1984 for offences that do least 100 people, including children, of not allow for bail, and other charges under defaming the monarchy. the Cybercrimes Act 2015 and the Anti- BACKGROUND Money Laundering Act 2007. Their court case was adjourned more than 10 times Student-led protests gathered in strength and before they were finally released after number over the course of the year. entering a plea-bargain agreement with the Authorities imposed lockdown measures in DPP under which they were ordered to pay a parts of the country in response to surges in joint fine of TZS17.3 million (about Covid-19 infections. The government was 3 US$7,400). criticized for its slow vaccine roll-out, and the Amnesty International Report 2021/22 362