Tanzania’s Main Opposition Leader Charged With Terrorism

Africa | Tanzania July 22, 2021

Tanzania’s main opposition leader Freeman Mbowe was on July 22, 2021, charged by police with plotting terrorism acts, reported some media.

Freeman Mbowe and 10 senior officials of the country’s main opposition party Chadema were arrested in their hotel in the north-western city of Mwanza in the early hours of July 21, 2021, for reportedly organizing unauthorized meeting. While the 10 senior party officials were detained in Mwanza, Mr Mbowe was flown in the darkness of the tropical night to the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam where the police are said to have changed their mind about the original charge against him and instead slapped him with the more serious charges of terrorism.

Mr Mbowe is said to have dismissed the charges of terrorism as fake charges.

Even earlier on July 21, 2021, Amnesty International in its reaction to the arrest of the opposition politicians, amounted the arrest to escalation of crackdown on Chadema. The human rights organization challenged the government of Tanzania to legally justify the arrest of the politicians or otherwise release them immediately. _____________________________ © 2015 - 2021 Africauptodate. All Rights Reserved