Tanzania opposition leaders fined for unlawful assembly

A magistrate's court in Tanzania has found nine senior opposition leaders guilty of unlawful assembly, incitement to violence and sedition.

The nine opposition leaders were found guilty on 12 out of 13 charges. Each will have to pay a fine of $13,000 (£10,000).

The magistrate said he won't give them a jail sentence. Instead, he ordered them to pay the fine.

Opposition supporters flooded the court grounds ahead of the ruling. Some knelt in prayer. Others chanted songs of solidarity.

Police used force to disperse them – arresting some as they tried to clear the court area. In an unusual move, the magistrate for the case had an armed guard.

Opposition politicians and their supporters have dismissed the charges as politically motivated – something the government denies.

Critics have accused Tanzanian authorities of using court cases to harass the opposition.

They claim civil and political freedoms have declined sharply in the country since President John Magufuli came to power in 2015.