Human rights groups have urged the Tanzanian government to end a ban on prison visits that was imposed because of coronavirus as prisoners are being denied access to lawyers.

Tanzania’s Legal and Human Rights Centre, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have written to President John Magufuli urging him to ensure all detainees get proper legal representation.

The ban was introduced in March over fears that an outbreak in the country's badly overcrowded prisons would lead to infections in the wider community.

Last month Mr Magufuli pardoned more than 3,000 inmates in order to ease pressure on the prisons, but they remain severely overcrowded.