61 people arrested in Tanzania in early July for allegedly calling for or participating in planned anti-government protests have been charged with terrorism-related offences, opposition party Chadema announced on Monday, July 27.
The party added that about 70 other detainees arrested during the same period remain in police custody and are yet to be formally charged.
On July 9, two days after authorities thwarted the planned demonstration, police announced the arrest of 130 people suspected of plotting criminal activities or inciting unrest by sharing messages linked to the planned protest.
“Sixty-one people have been charged with terrorism until today, and most of them are our members,” Chadema’s lawyer Rugemeleza Nshala told reporters.
“Chadema is not supporting terrorism at all… Participating or attempting to take part in demonstrations is not terrorism,” he said.
“It’s very dangerous if Tanzania wants to criminalise some legitimate political activities.
“Some people are accused of planning to burn public and private properties and others accused of planning to kill police,” Nshala added.
Chadema’s leader, Tundu Lissu, has been imprisoned since April 2025 on treason charges.
The police said on Sunday they had so far charged 36 people, accused of planning “disturbances and violence” or inciting them.
They are suspected of planning to set fire to public buildings, sabotage the power grid or kill police officers, according to the police.
The opposition had planned nationwide demonstrations for July 7, a public holiday commemorating the founding of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) by Julius Nyerere on July 7, 1954. TANU later spearheaded Tanganyika’s struggle for independence and went on to become the country’s ruling political movement.