Tanzania opposition says 61 charged with terrorism over planned protests

Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, said on Monday that 61 people arrested for calling for or participating in planned protests had been charged with terrorism.

Chadema lawyer Rugemeleza Nshala said most of those charged were party members.

He said about 70 other people arrested during the same period remained in police custody awaiting charges.

“Participating or attempting to take part in demonstrations is not terrorism,” Nshala told reporters.

He warned against criminalising what he described as legitimate political activity.

Police said on Sunday that 36 people had so far been charged.

They said the suspects were accused of planning or encouraging “disturbances and violence”, including alleged plans to burn public buildings, sabotage the electricity network and kill police officers.

Police said on July 9 that they had arrested 130 people suspected of planning criminal acts or encouraging them through messages connected to a proposed protest.

The opposition had called for demonstrations on July 7, a public holiday marking the anniversary of the founding of the Tanganyika African National Union.

Chadema leader Tundu Lissu has been imprisoned since April 2025 on treason charges.

Violent protests erupted on October 29, the day of Tanzania’s general election, against a vote opponents regarded as a foregone conclusion.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the election with 98 percent of the vote.

An official commission of inquiry estimated that 518 people were killed on October 29 and during the following days.

The opposition and human rights activists say security forces killed about 2,000 people.