Dar es Salaam – A legal challenge demanding the immediate release of John Heche, the deputy chairperson of Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, was filed at the High Court on November 5, 2025.
The habeas corpus application, which The Chanzo saw, contends that Mr Heche has been unlawfully detained since his arrest on October 22 and held in violation of his constitutional rights.
The petition was certified as a matter of “extreme urgency,” arguing that Mr Heche had been held for 15 days without being granted bail or brought before a court. The filing came a few days after his lawyer, Hekima Mwasipu, reported that authorities had informed them Mr Heche is now facing two charges of terrorism.
Mr Heche was arrested by seven police officers outside the High Court in Dar es Salaam while attending a case involving his party’s national chairperson, Tundu Lissu.
During his detention, Mr Heche’s mother, Weisiko Heche Sugata, was filmed at a police station in Dar es Salaam pleading for information. “My biggest problem is knowing where my son is, because many people’s children have disappeared,” she said.
According to legal documents and party statements, he was initially taken to the Central Police Station before being transferred to a facility in the capital, Dodoma. There, on October 24, he was interrogated by the Immigration Department regarding an alleged illegal border crossing into Kenya.
CHADEMA stated that although the immigration offence was bailable, police refused to grant bail, citing “orders from above.” The party has alleged the detention is part of a broader strategy by the state to suppress the opposition ahead of the general election that occurred on October 29, 2025.
The legal challenge also highlights a preceding incident on October 18, 2025, when immigration officials blocked Mr Heche from travelling to Kenya for a funeral.
During that confrontation at the border, his vehicle was reportedly shot at, and his driver was arrested. The habeas corpus petition also notes concerns for Mr Heche’s health, identifying him as a long-term cardiomyopathy patient who has been denied adequate medical care since his detention.
The application names six senior government officials as respondents, including the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General, and asks the court to declare the detention illegal and order Mr Heche’s immediate release.
