Kenyans and opposition leaders have begun pressuring Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu to release or formally charge John Heche, deputy chairman of the CHADEMA party, who was recently arrested. Heche was detained on Wednesday while trying to attend the treason trial of his party leader, Tundu Lissu. His family and associates say his whereabouts remain unknown, and they have issued an ultimatum to search for him themselves if needed.
John Heche, deputy chairman of Tanzania's opposition CHADEMA party, was arrested on Wednesday while attempting to attend the treason trial of his party leader, Tundu Lissu. According to the party, Heche was transported to Tarime by police after his arrest, but his family says authorities do not know his whereabouts. Days earlier, he was briefly held on Saturday as he tried to cross into Kenya to attend the funeral of Raila Odinga, his longtime friend.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna urged the Tanzanian government to reveal Heche's location via social media on Monday. "John Heche, Deputy Chairman of the CHADEMA party, was supposed to attend the funeral of Baba Raila Amolo Odinga, as he has been his long-time friend," Sifuna said. "He was humiliated and detained at the border by the Tanzanian government. His whereabouts are currently unknown, as he was taken away by the police while he was following up on the Tundu Lissu case," he added.
Sifuna called for Heche's release or formal charging in Tarime court, as his family had been informed. Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Heche's brother Edward said Tarime police told him there was no official report on his brother. "I have contacted Tarime Police to confirm whether he has been brought here to be charged, but we have been told that he has not been brought and there is no official report that he will be brought to Tarime and that they do not expect him to be brought to the area," Edward said.
CHADEMA's legal director, Gaston Garubindi, confirmed the arrest, stating, "Mr Heche was arrested by the police while he was in court for crimes that they have not mentioned." Heche's family has issued an ultimatum to Tanzanian police to produce him or they will mobilize other citizens to search for him themselves.
Lissu, Tanzania's main opposition leader, was arrested in April this year and charged with treason after calling for election reforms.