Zanzibar treason trial postponed

Reports from Zanzibar say the trial of fourteen opposition politicians on treason charges, due to have opened today, has been postponed for two weeks for security reasons.

The opposition Civic United Front had called a demonstration to coincide with the trial of its officials, but cancelled plans after a police ban.

There were hundreds of heavily armed police on the streets, and security was tight around the courtroom where the trial was to be held.

The fourteen were among a group of CUF members arrested after a by-election in December.

Two more party members were arrested over the weekend.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service