Dar es Salaam: Tanzania charged more than 200 individuals with treason, according to a lawyer and judicial sources, amid ongoing political tensions following the recent election. President Samia Suluhu Hassan secured the presidency with 98 percent of the vote in the October 29 election, a result declared by the electoral commission. However, the opposition, which was excluded from participating, has dismissed the election as fraudulent.
According to Nam News Network, violent protests erupted across the East African nation on election day, with unverified reports suggesting hundreds, potentially thousands, were killed. The situation was further complicated by a prolonged internet shutdown that obstructed the dissemination of verified information.
On Friday, more than 250 individuals were brought before the court in Dar es Salaam. Lawyer Peter Kibatala noted that these individuals faced charges across three separate cases, all accused of conspiracy to commit treason and treason itself. Judicial sources confirmed that at least 240 people were charged in the cases.
The opposition party, Chadema, reported that at least 800 people were killed during the election-related violence, a figure corroborated by diplomatic and security sources who suggested the toll could be significantly higher. Despite these claims, authorities have not released any official figures regarding casualties or injuries.
On Saturday, Chadema announced the arrest of Deputy Secretary General Amani Golugwa by police in Arusha. This arrest leaves only three of Chadema's six top leaders still free, as stated in a post on X by the party. Leader Tundu Lissu has been detained since April on treason charges, while Vice-Chairman John Heche was arrested in October and later charged with terrorism.
Chadema expressed concerns that the government aims to incapacitate the party's leadership through these treason charges. The party's statement followed a police announcement late Friday, indicating that they were seeking opposition leaders, including Secretary General John Mnyika, his deputy Amani Golugwa, and spokesperson Brenda Rupia, in connection with the violence.