TLS has committed to offering legal assistance without payment or conditions to ensure every suspect receives fair representation in court
Dar es Salaam. The Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) has announced that it will provide free legal aid and courtroom representation to 641people currently facing serious criminal charges across the country related to election cases.
TLS’s lawyer William Maduhu said THAT since October 29 and November 1, this year, a number of youth have been arrested but, so far, only a total of 641 suspects have been brought before the courts and most of them charged with treason, armed robbery and arson.
According to him, data compiled by TLS indicates that detentions have taken place with Dar es Salaam over 400 people were arrested, while Mwanza recorded over 200 arrests.
Kilimanjaro reported 312 arrests, although according to the regional police commander, 300 have already been released while 12 remain in custody. Additional detentions were reported in Mbeya, Njombe, Songwe, Kigoma and Tabora.
“Since November 7, a wave of criminal cases had been filed in various parts of the country, including Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Mwanza, Arusha, Njombe, Mara and Kigoma. Most of the suspects are youths aged between 15 and 25,” he said.
He said: “Our initial assessments revealed that many of those arrested are unfamiliar with legal processes and cannot afford legal representation.
In response, the Society has committed itself to offering legal assistance without any payment or conditions attached, to ensure that every suspect receives fair representation in court.”
Maduhu noted that if the respective accused are found guilty the lowest sentence is 30 years, but others the penalty, maximum carries a death and life imprisonment.
“Most of the suspects have limited legal knowledge and cannot afford lawyers. We have therefore, resolved to provide free legal representation to all those taken to court since 7 November, and to those who will continue to be brought before the courts,” he said.
Another lawyer for TLS, Paul Kisabo when they visited some detainees they found that number of them appeared to have physical injuries, raising concerns about alleged mistreatment while in custody.
Adding that some detainees were found wearing only vests which lawyers described as a violation of human dignity and human rights.
“We urge the police to follow legal procedures, allow lawyers unrestricted access to clients and enable families to visit their loved ones.
Some relatives do not know where their children are being held, and some fear that they may have died,” he said.
The Society also called on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to review the charges and drop cases considered to lack sufficient legal grounds.
“We urge the DPP to exercise his constitutional and legal powers to withdraw these cases, as our assessment shows that many charges have no legal substance,” he said.
Mr Kisabo encouraged families to visit their relatives in remand facilities, reminding them that prisons are public institutions with an obligation to safeguard detainees’ welfare.
TLS emphasised that it will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that no suspect is denied access to justice on the basis of status, financial ability or location.
