Tanzanian opposition politician Tundu Lissu was arrested on Thursday, reports AFP news agency.
No reasons were given for the arrest of Lissu, but it comes three days after having called President John Magufuli a “dictator”.
On Monday Mr Lissu told reporters that repeated arrests of senior party members were intended to muzzle any opposition to Mr Magufuli. He called for “the dictator and his government, to be isolated politically, diplomatically and economically,” reports AFP.
Government spokesman Hassan Abbas reacted to Lissu’s comments earlier this week by saying in a statement “the government will not accept that someone, or a group of people, abuse the freedom of expression”.
Mr Lissu, who is a member of the main opposition party Chadema, serves as the chief whip of the opposition in parliament and also leads Tanzania’s bar association, was arrested at Dar es Salaam airport as he attempted to take a plane to Rwanda, a Chadema spokesman told AFP.
