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Tanzania drops terrorism case against opposition leader Mbowe

A Tanzanian court on Friday dropped terrorism charges against opposition leader Freeman Mbowe and ordered his immediate release, ending a case that his supporters had branded a politically-motivated bid to crush dissent.

In this file photo taken on February 18, 2022 Tanzania’s main opposition Chadema party chairman Freeman Mbowe (R, in red) who was arrested on July 21, 2021, leaves the High Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. – Tanzanian prosecutors announced on Friday that they were dropping terrorism charges against the leader of the main opposition party Freeman Mbowe, ending a trial deemed political by his party and criticized by civil rights organisations. (Photo by ERICKY BONIPHACE / AFP)

A Tanzanian court on Friday dropped terrorism charges against opposition leader Freeman Mbowe and ordered his immediate release, ending a case that his supporters had branded a politically-motivated bid to crush dissent.

Mbowe and his three co-defendants have been behind bars for more than seven months.

The government of President Samia Suhulu Hassan had come under mounting pressure to drop the case, which had raised concerns about democracy and rule of law in the East African country.

“Because the (prosecution) has submitted an intention to drop the case and the defence side has accepted it, the case is now removed from the court and I order the suspects to be released unconditionally,” said judge Joachim Tiganga.

“They should be released from jail immediately.”

The decision triggered jubilant scenes in court, according to a video posted on Twitter by Mbowe’s Chadema party, and was welcomed by the US ambassador to Tanzania.

It was not immediately known if he had been freed from prison.

Mbowe, chairman of Chadema, was arrested in July along with a number of other senior party officials just hours before they were to hold a public forum to demand constitutional reforms in the East African country.

He and three others were charged with terrorism financing and conspiracy.

But state prosecutor Robert Kidando told the court Friday: “We have no intention to continue with the case.”

The 60-year-old Mbowe has accused police of torturing him during his time in custody.

Mbowe’s arrest had dimmed hopes that Hassan would turn the page on the autocratic rule of her predecessor John Magufuli, nicknamed the “Bulldozer” for his uncompromising style and crackdown on dissent.

Chadema has accused Hassan’s government of meddling in the case and said the arrests reflected a deepening slide into “dictatorship”.

‘Turn the page’
Recently however, the government has made seemingly conciliatory overtures to the opposition.

In February, Hassan met in Brussels with Chadema’s deputy chairman Tundu Lissu, who was the party’s candidate in the 2020 presidential election but lives in exile in Belgium following an attempt on his life in 2017.

Also last month, the government lifted a Magufuli-era ban on four Swahili-language newspapers, including Daima — a daily owned by Mbowe.

“Today’s dismissal of the case against Freeman Mbowe is a welcome opportunity for Tanzania to turn the page and focus on the future,” US ambassador Donald Wright posted on Twitter.

“Now let’s work together to seize the immense opportunities that exist, and build a future of peace, prosperity, and freedom for all.”

Prosecutors had said the allegations against Mbowe did not relate to the planned constitutional reform conference, but to alleged offences last year in another part of Tanzania.

Chadema has said the charges included conspiring to attack a public official, and giving 600,000 Tanzanian shillings ($260, 230 euros) towards blowing up petrol stations and public gatherings and cutting down trees to block roads.

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