Tanzania opposition says vice-chairman charged with 'terrorism'
Tyres burn along a deserted road during violent protests that marred the election following the disqualification of the two leading opposition candidates in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, October 29, 2025. REUTERS/Onsase Ochando
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President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the October 29 poll with 98 percent of the vote, according to the electoral commission, but the opposition branded the election a "sham".
Violent protests broke out across the country on election day.
The government responded with a total internet blackout and transport shutdown, and the opposition says hundreds were killed by security forces, though getting verified information remains difficult despite an easing of restrictions.
Opposition party Chadema said in a post on X late Tuesday that its vice-chairman John Heche -- who was arrested on October 22 -- had been charged with "terrorism acts".
It said police transported Heche from the capital Dodoma to the coastal Kinodoni region where he was charged.
He refused to write a statement but would "exercise that right immediately after being taken to Court", it added.
It was unclear when he would appear in court.
Rights groups have described a brutal crackdown on the opposition ahead of the election, with leaders either jailed or barred from running.
Chadema party leader Tundu Lissu is currently on trial for treason charges, which can carry the death penalty.
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