Tanzania: Appeal Court Affirms Death Penalty in Church Blast

What the report says

Tanzania’s Court of Appeal has upheld death sentences for six men convicted in connection with the 2013 bombing of Burka Roman Catholic Parish Church in Olasiti, Arusha City. The ruling, reported by Daily News via AllAfrica, leaves in place the High Court’s findings on murder, terrorist acts and using property for terrorist purposes, while the court set aside a conspiracy count.

According to the report, the panel of Justices Lugalo Mwandambo, Abraham Mwampashi and Lameck Mlacha dismissed appeals by Abashari Omary, Yusuph Hutta, Ramadhani Waziri, Abdul Juma, Kassim Ramadhan and Japhari Lema. The judges said the trial court did not depend only on disputed confession statements, but also on other evidence it found corroborative, including defence testimony, physical exhibits, communication records and forensic findings related to the explosive device.

The bombing occurred on May 5, 2013, when worshippers were gathered for a religious ceremony. Three people were killed and more than 50 others were injured, making it one of the most serious attacks tied to a place of worship in the case record described by the outlet. The defendants were among a larger group arrested after investigations and charged in 2014; some co-accused were acquitted or died before trial.

The decision matters because it confirms the convictions after years of legal proceedings and underscores Tanzania’s use of capital punishment in terrorism-related cases. As a general background matter, appeal courts typically review whether the lower court properly applied the law and assessed the evidence, rather than retrying the case from scratch.