Dodoma/Dar es Salaam — Tanzanian opposition party CHADEMA says its senior official Heche has been charged with treason, escalating tensions after President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the October 29 election with 98% of the vote.
In a statement, CHADEMA said Heche was arrested on October 22 in Dodoma and later transferred to Kinondoni in coastal Dar es Salaam, where charges were filed. The party added that Heche declined to give a police statement, opting to address the allegations in court. Authorities have not announced when he will first appear before a judge.
The development comes as opposition groups, including CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo, allege that multiple senior figures were barred from contesting the poll—claims the government has not publicly addressed. The result triggered nationwide demonstrations and heightened scrutiny from civil society groups over political freedoms and due process.
CHADEMA leader Tundu Lissu already faces a separate treason trial, a charge that in Tanzania can carry the death penalty, intensifying concerns among rights advocates about a broader post-election clampdown on dissent.
There was no immediate comment from police or prosecutors regarding the specifics of the case against Heche. Government officials have previously defended security operations as necessary to maintain public order following unrest linked to the vote.
Opposition parties are calling for international attention to the prosecutions and demanding the release of their members, while urging authorities to allow legal challenges to proceed without intimidation.
