Africa-Press. Authorities in Tanzania have charged 61 individuals with terrorism-related offenses following their arrest in early July during protests against the government. This move has drawn widespread criticism from the opposition party, which argues that the government is criminalizing legitimate political activities and citizens’ constitutional rights.
In a statement released on July 27, the party indicated that the majority of the accused are affiliated with them, noting that approximately 70 other individuals arrested during the same period remain in police custody awaiting formal charges.
The opposition had called for protests on July 7, known in Tanzania as “Saba Saba” (07/07 in Swahili), which is a public holiday commemorating the founding of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) in 1954, led by Julius Nyerere, the party that led the country to independence.
Although authorities have not issued an official ban on demonstrations, the heavy security presence leading up to the protests raised significant concerns among the population and contributed to preventing large gatherings.
Two days after the scheduled protests, police announced the arrest of 130 individuals, accusing them of planning criminal acts or inciting them by disseminating messages related to the demonstrations.
Later, several of those detained were charged with terrorism, a claim that the opposition party has firmly rejected, asserting that “participating in a demonstration or attempting to do so cannot be considered a terrorist act, but rather a right guaranteed by the constitution, which the authorities are now seeking to criminalize.”
These developments come amid increasing criticism of the government regarding its crackdown on the opposition, following months after the general elections held on October 29, 2025, which saw widespread protests over allegations of vote rigging before security forces intervened to disperse them violently.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced her victory in the presidential elections with 98% of the votes. Regarding the post-election events, an official investigation committee estimated the number of deaths during the protests on October 29 and the following days at 518, without identifying those responsible for the violence, while opposition groups and human rights organizations claim that around 2,000 people were killed by security forces during these events, a claim denied by the authorities.
