Dar es Salaam – A Tanzanian man who was held for almost two months on treason charges with two broken legs has been released from custody, a day after his family made a desperate public plea for his freedom.
Baraka Chacha Mwita was freed on December 24, 2025, and returned to his family home in Dar es Salaam. His release comes after his sister, Catherine Johannes, made an emotional appeal outside the Kisutu Magistrate’s Court on December 22, highlighting her brother’s severe injuries and the hardship the family was facing.
Mwita was arrested on October 30, 2025, in the midst of a government crackdown following nationwide protests against the general election results. His family said that both of his legs were broken during his arrest, leaving him unable to walk. Images of him being carried by a fellow detainee to and from court appearances circulated widely on social media, sparking public outrage.
His sister told reporters that one of her brother’s legs was in a cast and the other had a metal rod inserted. “My brother cannot walk. I think you have all seen him online. He is carried all the time. Someone has to help him even to go to the toilet,” she said.
The family’s plight was further compounded by financial hardship. Ms Johannes, a college student, had to suspend her studies as her brother was the family’s main breadwinner. A fundraising campaign was launched on social media to support the family, raising Sh15 million by December 23.
Mwita was one of hundreds of people arrested and charged with serious offences, including treason, following the October 29 protests.
However, in a recent move towards reconciliation, President Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered a review of the cases. On December 3, it was reported that treason charges against social media influencer Jennifer ‘Niffer’ Jovin and activist Mika Chavala were dropped. The government announced that a total of 1,736 detainees were expected to be released.
Upon his release, Mwita thanked his supporters, prison staff, and the medical personnel who treated him. He also expressed gratitude to a senior prison guard who he said supervised his medical care.
“The big lesson I have learned is the importance of loving one another, and when you are free, do not commit any criminal offence,” he told Jambo TV.
