Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani has written an open letter to Tanzanian president, Samia Suluhu Hassan requesting the immediate release of opposition leader Freeman Mbowe from police custody.

In the letter seen by Nampa on Thursday, Venaani who wrote the letter in his capacity as chairperson of the Democrat Union of Africa requested the release of Mbowe as well as 11 other Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) party officials who were arrested along with him.

“Moreover, your excellency, granted the opportunity, I would seek to pay a formal visit to Mbowe on account of his continued detention in police custody,” reads the letter.

Mbowe has been behind bars since July last year after he was arrested along with a number of other senior Chadema officials in a night-time police raid just hours before they were to hold a public forum to demand constitutional reforms in Tanzania. They face charges of terrorism.

In the letter Vanaani said the planned public forum was in line with the mandate of the official opposition, as outlined by the Commonwealth, to inter alia criticise government activity, hold the government accountable and propose improvements.

“Your excellency, you would agree that the cornerstone of democratic governance and constitutional liberalism is the freedom of association. This freedom enables people who share similar interests to come together and form organisations that represent their interests and views,” said the letter.

It further reads ‘The requirements of the African Commission’s Principles and Guidelines on the Right to Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa (2003) that any one arrested ‘shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his or her arrest and shall be promptly informed, in a language he or she understands, of any charges against him or her’ and ‘be promptly brought to a judicial officer,’ were not appreciated and applied in the case of Mbowe.’

The letter said six months after his arrest, Mbowe continues to be held in police custody on charges of terrorism, with no clear end to the saga in sight as the charges have thus far not been substantiated.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency