Tanzania main opposition Chadema leaders in the precincts of the Dar es
Salaam court. The six are charged with sedition and incitement to
violence. PHOTO | THE CITIZEN | NMG
Six Tanzanian opposition leaders will spend the Easter holidays
in remand after a Dar es Salaam judge ordered that they be produced in
court on Tuesday for signing of their bail papers.
The Chadema party leaders, including the chairman Freeman Mbowe, are charged with sedition and
incitement to violence.
incitement to violence.
They
are also charged with unlawful assembly and protesting in February that
led to the death of a female student, who was killed by a stray bullet,
while police tried to break up the demonstration.
Those
charged alongside Mr Mbowe are the party’s secretary-general Vincent
Mashinji, deputy secretary-general for Mainland John Mnyika, deputy
secretary-general for Zanzibar Salum Mwalimu, and MPs Peter Msigwa and
Esther Matiko.
They first appeared before judge
Willbard Mashauri at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday
and were detained at the Segerea remand prison.
They
did not however appear in court on Thursday for the bail hearing with
the remand chief claiming all prison vehicles that could have ferried
the accused to court were faulty.
Nonetheless, the judge granted the Chadema officials Tsh20,000 ($8,800) bail each with at least two guarantors. They are also required to report to the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam every Thursday.
However, the prosecution said it will appeal the bail ruling.
Meanwhile,
some opposition members marched to the European Union (EU) Delegation
Office in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday to seek international support in
pushing for democratic freedom in Tanzania.
The
opposition, civil society and church have decried increased violation of
democratic rights since President John Magufuli took office in November
2015.
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