Amani Golugwa, Deputy Secretary General of Tanzania’s main opposition party CHADEMA, was arrested at Julius Nyerere International Airport on May 13, 2025, as he was preparing to travel to Brussels via Turkish Airlines to attend the International Democrat Union (IDU) Forum.

In a statement released today morning, CHADEMA alerted the public that Golugwa had been arrested and that his phone was unreachable, with his whereabouts unknown.

“We have been informed that our Deputy Secretary General for the Mainland, Amani Golugwa, was arrested by the Police Force on the night of May 13, 2025, at Julius Nyerere International Airport,” the party said in a statement issued around 11:00 AM.

“Amani was scheduled to travel to Belgium today to represent CHADEMA at the International Democrat Union (IDU) forum. We contacted Turkish Airlines, the carrier he was meant to fly with, and they confirmed he did not board the flight. The person who informed us of his arrest also reported that Amani was brutally beaten by the police. He remains unreachable by phone,” the statement continued.

READ: ‘Arrested, Tortured, Dumped in Bushes’: Tanzania’s Escalating Crackdown on Opposition Ahead of 2025 Elections

Later, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Force issued its statement, confirming Golugwa’s arrest and citing “confidential information” as the basis.

“The Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police informs the public that on May 13, 2025, at approximately 00:45, at Julius Nyerere International Airport Terminal 3, it arrested Amani Golugwa, Deputy Secretary General for the CHADEMA party, Tanzania mainland, as he was preparing to travel to Brussels, Belgium,” said Acting Special Zone Police Commander Faustine Mafwele.

“The arrest followed confidential information indicating that he has been traveling in and out of the country without adhering to legal procedures,” the statement added.

While CHADEMA announced that they were informed by the police that Golugwa was eligible for bail, the party later updated the public that four individuals who appeared at the police station to act as sureties—including Ntele Benjamin, Ernest Mgawe, Jerome Olomi, and one party member- were themselves arrested during the process.

The International Democrat Union (IDU) condemned the arrest in a public statement: “Silencing opposition voices violates the core of democracy. We call for his immediate release and urge global pressure on Tanzania to uphold human rights.”