Legal procedures awareness key to protecting right to life’

AS part of efforts to protect the right to life, concerted efforts must be directed to raising public awareness over legal procedures and human rights.

The call was made in Dar es Salaam over the weekend by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) Executive Director Advocate Anna Henga at a celebration to mark Human Rights Day.

Moreover, she said it was important to encourage community members to obey the law and respect human rights.

“Since the right to life was one of the most frequently violated rights this year, civil society organisations (CSOs) need to step up their efforts to increase public awareness on the two issues. Members of the public should be made aware of offences that are subject to bail, for instance in the case of mob violence,” she said.

According to her, from January to October this year, 495 murders and mob killings were documented through various platforms, including the LHRC digital platform ‘Haki Kiganjani’ and media surveys.

Intimate partner killings, mental health, suicide, and road accidents, she says, were among the various challenges that hampered the enjoyment of human rights in the country in 2022, and she calls on security organs to ensure police officers respond quickly and legal action is taken against perpetrators.

“We documented a total of 32 incidents of intimate partner killings from January to June this year,” Advocate Henga said.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948.

This year’s Human Rights Day slogan is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” and the call to action is #StandUp4HumanRights.

Director of the Department of Human Rights from the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs, Nkasori Sarakikya, said the constitution of Tanzania is one of the few constitutions that mention UDHR.

Marcel Akpovo, Regional Representative for East Africa and Representative to the African Union from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said they hope to increase knowledge of the UDHR as a foundational blueprint for taking concrete actions to stand up for human rights and tackle pressing global issues today.