Six people found guilty of bombing a Catholic church in Arusha, northwestern Tanzania in 2013 have been sentenced to death.
Abashiri Hassan, Yusuph Huta, Ramadhan Waziri, Abdul Juma, Kassim Ramadhan and Jaffari Lema were sentenced on Tuesday by Judge John Nkwabi of the Arusha High Court.
The court heard that the six detonated a grenade at the St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Olasiti on May 5, 2013, killing three people.
The six were allegedly targeting Bishop Francisco Padilla, a representative of the Pope, who survived the explosion.
Ten-year investigation
The prosecution said an investigation proved that the suspects held several meetings at Ramadhan Waziri's home ahead of the attack.
Several witnesses confirmed to the court that the said-planning meeting took place.
In his ruling, Judge Nkwabi said that the prosecution had produced enough evidence to implicate the six in a terrorism-related offence.
The case now closes after more than ten years of investigations. Three other suspects, who had been arraigned alongside the convicts, were freed over lack of evidence.
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