Why Was Nelson Mandela Arrested?

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Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1956 for treason, in 1962 for leaving the country without a passport and in 1964, Mandela was charged with sabotage while incarcerated at Pretoria Local Prison. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison in 1962 and then sentenced to life in 1964.

Mandela served 26 years before being released by South African President F.W. de Klerk in February of 1990. President de Klerk and Mandela were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for anti-apartheid activism in 1993.

In May of 1994, Mandela was sworn into office as President of South Africa after winning the country’s first elections by universal suffrage. He served one term with de Klerk serving as his first deputy.

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