Tanzanian authorities on Wednesday released on bail a popular comedian who was held for more than a week after posting a video of himself laughing at a photo of President John Magufuli.

Police summoned Idris Sultan, a former winner of the Big Brother Africa television series, on May 19 and questioned him over a possible violation of a law against "cyberbullying", his lawyer, Benedict Ishabakaki, told AFP on Wednesday.

Sultan was instead charged with a lesser offence related to using a SIM card registered in someone else's name, according to a charge sheet seen by AFP.

Sultan's release comes one day after activists and opposition leaders took to Twitter demanding the case against him be thrown out.

It is not the first time Sultan has run afoul of Magufuli's government.