Arusha, Tanzania
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JUDGMENT SUMMARY
SONG LEI
V. UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
APPLICATION NO. 066/2019
JUDGMENT ON MERITS AND REPARATIONS
A DECISION OF THE AFRICAN COURT ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS
Arusha, 6 March 2026: The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Court)
delivered a judgment in the case of Song Lei v. United Republic of Tanzania.
Song Lei (the Applicant) is a businessman and a national of the People’s Republic of China
residing in the United Republic of Tanzania (the Respondent State). At the time of filing this
Application, he was incarcerated at Ukonga Central Prison, Dar es Salaam, having been tried,
convicted and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for, among others, unlawful dealing in
trophies and unlawful possession of government trophy, specifically rhinoceros horns. He
alleges violation of his rights during proceedings before the Tanzanian courts.
The Respondent State objected to the jurisdiction of the Court as well as to the admissibility
of the Application.
Concerning the Court’s jurisdiction, the Respondent State raised an objection to the Court’s
material jurisdiction. Specifically, the Respondent State contended that this Court is being
seized to evaluate evidence and, therefore, to act as an appellate court whereas it lacks such
jurisdiction. Furthermore, the Respondent State claimed that the Applicant does not
demonstrate any link between the faulted proceedings of its domestic courts and the alleged
human rights violation.
With regard to the contention that the Court would be exercising appellate jurisdiction, the
Court reiterated its jurisprudence that it does not exercise appellate jurisdiction with respect
to claims already examined by national courts. At the same time, however, and even though
the Court is not an appellate court vis-à-vis domestic courts, it retains the power to assess the
propriety of domestic proceedings against standards set out in international human rights
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