Tanzania: Chadema Deputy Chairperson’s Arrest Raises Pre-Election Rights Concerns. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — The political atmosphere in Tanzania is growing increasingly tense as the country prepares for general elections on October 29, 2025.
The arrest of Chadema deputy chairperson John Heche has sparked opposition pressure and raised concerns about political repression ahead of the polls.
Heche was detained by police outside the High Court in Dar es Salaam while attempting to attend the ongoing treason trial of Chadema leader Tundu Lissu. Lissu, who was arrested in April, faces the death penalty if convicted.
His lawyer, Dr Rugemeleza Nshala, has criticized the government’s restrictions on Lissu, stating that the opposition leader has been denied confidential access to his legal team and that senior Chadema officials and party members have been barred from visiting him in prison.
Opposition figures and rights groups have accused the government of intensifying political repression. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office following the death of her authoritarian predecessor, John Magufuli, has been criticized by critics for overseeing a renewed crackdown on dissent, despite earlier promises of political openness.
According to Human Rights Watch, the government has wrongfully arrested alleged protest organizers and opposition supporters ahead of planned protests.
The government cancelled the official Independence Day celebrations and redirected funds to infrastructure restoration following election unrest, a move that has been interpreted by some as an attempt to suppress dissent. Amnesty International has reported on repression by law ahead of Tanzania’s general elections, highlighting the global movement’s campaign for human rights in Tanzania and the general elections.
The situation remains fluid, with further details expected as the election approaches.
The arrest of Heche and the ongoing trial of Lissu have drawn international attention to the state of political rights in Tanzania. Further details are expected as the election approaches.
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Source: Tanzania: Day of violent impunity and our call to protect human rights — article19.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 4*
