Mozambique opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane was this week hit with five charges — including inciting terrorism — following a crackdown on post-election protests that left at least 300 people dead.
Mondlane, who came second in the October vote to now-President Daniel Chapo, said he was the victim of a “judiciary crusade.” Mozambique was plunged into months of mass demonstrations after an election the opposition says was rigged and international observers, such as those from the European Union, have also raised concerns about.
If convicted, Mondlane could face up to 24 years in prison. He told reporters he was going to trial with a “clear conscience,” Anadolu Agency reported. “We have removed the mask of fraud and taken the extreme resistance against a dictatorial regime,” he told reporters.
