A Tanzanian journalist and fierce critic of President John Magufuli was on Friday charged with sedition under cybercrime laws.
Erick Kabendera was on Monday arrested at his home in Dar es Salaam in the presence of his wife by six men claiming to be policemen.
He was held for hours and questioned about his citizenship.
Thereafter Kabendera was accused of publishing “false and seditious” information.
“He is now charged with cybercrimes for publishing false and seditious information,” a member of his defense team, Shilinde Swedy, told Agence France Presse.
“The Immigration Service has finished with Kabendera. There is no problem with his nationality. Now, there are these cybercrime charges,” Swedy said.
Ever since Magufuli took office, Kabendera has written about being harassed and stalked by government operatives.
Magufuli has in the past four years had newspapers shut down.
Azory Gwanda, another journalist and government critic disappeared in 2017 and has never been found.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874. You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
