The demonstrations marked one of the most serious political crises in Tanzania in decades. CHADEMA and several human rights groups claim that more than 1,000 people were killed by security forces, though the government disputes that figure.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was declared the winner of the election with nearly 98 percent of the vote, has dismissed the reported death toll as exaggerated, while offering no official numbers.
Those freed include CHADEMA vice chairman John Heche, who was detained on 22 October and questioned on terrorism allegations, and Amani Golugwa, the party’s deputy secretary general, who was arrested over the weekend. Both were granted bail, CHADEMA confirmed in a post on X.
The party’s leader, Tundu Lissu, remains in custody after being charged with treason in April. His exclusion from the presidential ballot was one of the main triggers of the unrest.
On Friday, prosecutors charged at least 145 people with treason for alleged involvement in the protests, while more than 170 others face separate charges related to the demonstrations.
Opposition groups have accused President Hassan’s administration of silencing dissent and orchestrating abductions of government critics. Observers from the African Union have also said the election fell short of democratic standards.
Hassan has rejected the accusations, insisting that the election was fair. She ordered an inquiry into reports of abductions last year, but the findings have not yet been made public.