This archive report was first published on 2 August 2019.
August 2, 2019
Tanzanian investigative journalist Erick Kabendera is facing sedition charges, his lawyer has revealed, in a move that has sparked concerns about the growing crackdown on press freedom in the country.
Kabendera, who was arrested on Monday, was initially questioned by police over his citizenship despite holding a Tanzanian passport, according to his lawyer Jebra Kambol.
He was then transferred to the cyber crime unit for further interrogation, where he is now being charged with sedition in connection with an article published in The Economist about President John Magufuli.
The article, titled John Magufuli is bulldozing Tanzania’s freedom, has been replaced online with a new piece called Another critic of President John Magufuli is silenced.
“Erick has been denied police bail despite the fact that bail is a constitutional right in Tanzania,” Mr Kambol said, adding that officers had been sent to search the journalist's house.
Since President Magufuli came to office in 2015, laws overseeing the media have been toughened, and several newspapers and radio stations have been suspended for allegedly inciting violence.
