Arusha, Tanzania Website: www.african-court.org Telephone: +255-272-510-510 JUDGMENT SUMMARY MASUDI SAID SELEMANI V. UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA APPLICATION NO. 042/2019 JUDGMENT ON MERITS AND REPARATION 5 JUNE 2026 A DECISION OF THE AFRICAN COURT ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS Arusha, 5 June 2026: The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Court) today delivered a Judgment in the case of Masudi Said Selemani v. United Republic of Tanzania. Masudi Selemani (the Applicant) is a national of the United Republic of Tanzania (the Respondent State). At the time of filing the Application, he was incarcerated at Lilungu Central Prison in the Mtwara Region, having been convicted of murder and sentenced to death, by hanging. The Applicant alleged that the Respondent State violated his right to life, right to inherent dignity, right to be represented by counsel of his choice, right to be tried within a reasonable time and the right to be heard protected under Articles 4, 5, 7(1)(c), 7(1)(d) and 7(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Charter) respectively with regards to the proceedings at the national court. The Court observed that, pursuant to Rule 63(1) of the Rules of Court (the Rules), it is empowered to deliver a judgment in default, either upon request by the Applicant or on its own accord, provided the conditions contained in Rule 63(1) of the Rules were met. In this case, the judgment in default was issued on the Court’s own accord, as the Court was satisfied that the Respondent State had been duly served all the 1