Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has issued a pardon for 139 individuals previously charged with treason, including prominent TikToker Jennifer Jovin, widely known as Niffer. The presidential pardon, announced during the inauguration of the 13th parliament on November 14, 2025, comes after widespread public outcry and emotional pleas from the families of the accused.
The pardon specifically targets youth who, according to President Suluhu, “simply followed the crowd” during post-election protests and did not fully grasp the gravity of their actions. “Looking at those clips from the protests, you can clearly see that some of the youths joined just by following the crowd. They were chanting out of excitement and had no real understanding of what they were doing,” President Suluhu stated, emphasizing her role as a “guardian, as a mother”. She directed security and law-enforcement agencies, particularly the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)’s office, to assess the levels of offenses and release those who were merely influenced by their peers.
Niffer, who was arrested in late October 2025, faced charges of conspiracy to commit treason for allegedly encouraging people to buy face masks to protect themselves from tear gas during anti-government protests. Authorities had claimed this amounted to promoting resistance against the state. Her mother, Mwanaisha Isaac, had made a tearful public appeal to President Suluhu for her daughter’s forgiveness, highlighting Niffer as the family’s breadwinner. “My daughter is the breadwinner for the entire family… We all depend on her and we ask you to forgive her and forgive us,” Isaac pleaded.
The case, which saw Niffer and 21 others charged with treason-related offenses, had sparked considerable debate among human rights advocates and legal experts regarding the severity of the charges and the handling of online activism.
Under Tanzanian law, treason is a serious crime punishable by life imprisonment or, in extreme cases, the death penalty, and bail is typically not granted for such charges. The President’s decision to pardon these individuals marks a significant moment, offering a path to reconciliation and emphasizing the importance of guiding the nation’s youth.
