Cybercrime charges laid against JamiiForums Founder "Maxence Melo"

After Three days being detained by police, JamiiForums co-founder and digital activist Maxence Melo has finally been charged and his bail hearing has been postponed until Monday.

Police have been asking Mr. Melo to hand over user data for his website JamiiForums, a popular Swahili forum which is mostly used by whistleblowers.

In additional to the three more obstruction charges laid against him today, there is another ongoing court case against Mr. Melo for obstruction as well as a charge for using a domain not registered in Tanzania as described under Section 79(c) of the Electronic and Postal Communications Act. 

The obstruction charges are filed under section 22(2) of the Cybercrimes Act, of which Melo is an outspoken critic.

According to Johannes Kalungura, the principal legal counsel for the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) said that “Mr. Melo has been neglecting to abide by lawful orders of law enforcement agencies. The police force and any law enforcement agency under the law are entitled to get the information,” 

Human rights groups and Various media have expressed dissatisfaction over Melo’s long detention; as per Tanzanian law requires charges be laid within 24 hours. But for the case of Melo it has take the three days.

“…They have failed to charge him in the court of law within the required time framework,” says Onesmo Olengurumwa who is The Human Rights Defenders in Tanzania.

Social networks has been campaigning for the release of Melo with the trending hashtag #FreeMaxenceMelo and it's gaining a lot of attention even to the international media.