Dar es Salaam – Two online activists in Tanzania, Innocent Paul Chuwa and Frida Mikoroti, were released on bail on Wednesday after a week-long detention that human rights groups have condemned as a violation of legal procedure.
Their arrests, believed to be linked to online calls for peaceful protests, come amid a sweeping government crackdown on digital expression and political dissent ahead of the country’s general election on October 29, 2025.
A coalition of legal and human rights organiations, including the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), secured the activists’ release.
“We are ready to face the prosecutors in court to defend our clients and the freedom of expression,” stated Paul Kisabo, an advocate from THRDC. He highlighted that holding his clients for more than a week without charge was a “clear violation of the Criminal Procedures Act,” which requires a suspect to be brought before a court within 24 hours.
The detentions follow an August directive for police to conduct “online patrols” to monitor individuals allegedly disrupting peace and combating cybercrime. These actions have been enabled by laws such as the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 and the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations, which criminalise a wide range of online speech.
READ MORE: Tanzania Directs Police to Patrol Internet As the General Election Nears
The political climate has grown increasingly tense. The main opposition party, CHADEMA, is boycotting the election, and its chairperson, Tundu Lissu, is on trial for treason—a charge that carries a potential death penalty. Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017, was arrested in April 2025.
Speaking at a campaign rally on October 1, 2025, President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned citizens against being swayed to disrupt the nation’s peace.
“Those who are persuading you have somewhere to go,” President Samia said. “I want to tell you, if even a small thing happens, we will send them back to the airport, their passports with visas in hand, they will leave. Their families are not here; they are here to cause chaos, and if things get messy, they will run and join their families.”
Human Rights Watch recently reported on a “deepening repression” in Tanzania, citing politically motivated assaults, abductions, and the stifling of the media.
The government has also blocked access to social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), which NetBlocks confirmed was blocked in May 2025.
