Tanzania has charged over 200 individuals with treason following days of election-related unrest, a lawyer and judicial sources told AFP.
The crackdown comes after opposition claims that hundreds of people were killed during protests over last month’s poll.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the October 29 election with 98 percent of the vote, according to the electoral commission.
However, the opposition, which was barred from participating, dismissed the process as a “sham.”
Violent demonstrations erupted across the East African nation on election day, with reports suggesting that hundreds, or possibly thousands, lost their lives.
The situation was further complicated by a multi-day internet blackout that made it difficult to verify information.
On Friday, hundreds of suspects appeared in court in Dar es Salaam, the country’s economic center.
“All of these ladies and gentlemen, numbering more than 250 in total, were arraigned in three separate cases… and they’re all charged with two sets of offences,” lawyer Peter Kibatala told AFP. “The first set of a sense of offence is a conspiracy to commit treason. And the second set of offences is treason itself,” he added.
Judicial sources confirmed that at least 240 people have been charged.
Chadema, the main opposition party, claims that at least 800 people were killed during the election violence.
Diplomats and security officials say the numbers could be even higher, with credible reports suggesting fatalities may have reached into the thousands. Authorities have yet to provide official figures for deaths or injuries.
Late Friday, police announced that they are seeking several opposition leaders in connection with the unrest.
“Following our investigations and evidence we gathered, we are looking for these 10 people to arrest them. We call on them to surrender to the police immediately,” Tanzania police spokesperson David Misime said, naming party secretary general John Mnyika, his deputy Amani Golugwa, and spokesperson Brenda Rupia among those wanted.
