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Freeman Mbowe, the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition party, has been released on bail, according to his party’s announcement on Saturday.
His detention occurred just days before local elections, which are seen as a crucial test for President Samia Suluhu Hassan. She assumed office in 2021 with promises of reforms and greater civic freedoms, but international observers have expressed disappointment, citing a return to the repressive policies of her predecessor.
On Friday, the party reported that Mbowe and other party members had been detained by police after attending a rally in southern Tanzania, which was broken up with tear gas.
In a social media post on Saturday, Chadema confirmed that Mbowe and the other detainees had been released on bail. After his release, Mbowe stated that some party members had been beaten by police despite not resisting arrest. He said the police accused them of violating campaign rules, a claim he called “baseless.”
Mbowe expressed his belief that the detentions were a deliberate attempt to disrupt their campaign efforts, and he added that some Chadema members remained in police custody. He and others were instructed to report back on November 29, though he planned to seek legal advice.
This comes after a similar incident last month, when Mbowe, deputy leader Tundu Lissu, and other opposition figures were briefly detained after riot police halted a mass rally in Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial capital.
The local elections on November 27 are seen as an important indicator of the political landscape leading up to the presidential election next year.
The arrests follow Mbowe’s recent criticism of the authorities for disqualifying numerous Chadema candidates from the upcoming local polls, which he called a “deliberate manipulation.”
President Hassan, who took office after the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, has yet to face voters in a general election. Initially praised for easing restrictions on the opposition and media, she has faced criticism from rights groups and Western governments for a renewed crackdown on opposition figures ahead of the elections. This includes arrests of Chadema members, as well as the abductions and killings of opposition activists.
