Politics

Tundu Lissu Faces Treason Trial Ahead of Tanzania’s Election

Helen Okoro 6 months ago 3 min read

By : Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro

Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu went on trial for treason on Monday in Dar es Salaam, just weeks before a national election from which his party has been barred.

Lissu, who finished second in the 2020 presidential election, was arrested in April after prosecutors accused him of delivering a speech that allegedly urged citizens to rebel and disrupt the upcoming vote. He has pleaded not guilty, calling the charges politically motivated.

“Our client maintains his innocence,” said his lawyer, Jebra Kambole. “This case is an attempt to silence dissent ahead of the elections.”

Lissu leads the CHADEMA opposition party, which has been one of the most vocal critics of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. CCM, under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has governed Tanzania since the country gained independence in 1961.

Before his arrest, Lissu vowed to boycott the national election unless significant reforms were made to what he described as a flawed electoral process designed to benefit the ruling party. His stance placed him at the center of Tanzania’s ongoing debate over democracy, political freedom, and the fairness of the country’s electoral system.

According to CHADEMA officials, the trial opened Monday with judges hearing testimonies from the first state witnesses. The party said in a statement that Lissu was “firm, steadfast, and ready” to face what is expected to be a weeks-long trial.

Supporters attempting to attend the trial were reportedly blocked and beaten, according to Lissu’s legal team. In addition, the court has banned live coverage of the proceedings at the request of state prosecutors, citing the need to protect witness identities.

Growing Scrutiny on Human Rights

Lissu’s detention has intensified scrutiny of President Hassan’s human rights record. When Hassan took office in 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli, she was initially praised for loosening restrictions on the press and civil society. Her early reforms raised hopes that Tanzania was moving toward a more open political environment.

However, in recent months, human rights activists have expressed growing concern over the reported abductions of government critics and the use of legal charges to silence opposition figures. Although Hassan has stated that her administration is committed to respecting human rights and ordered investigations into last year’s abductions, no official findings have been made public.

The upcoming October 28 national election has already been criticized as lacking genuine competition. In April, the electoral commission disqualified CHADEMA from participating after the party refused to sign a government code of conduct it said was biased. The country’s second-largest opposition party was also barred, leaving only minor candidates to run against Hassan.

A Symbol of Resistance

Lissu’s prominence as a political figure extends beyond his party leadership. In 2017, he survived an assassination attempt, during which he was shot 16 times. After years of medical treatment abroad, he returned to Tanzania determined to continue his political work, becoming a key voice in the country’s pro-democracy movement.

His current treason trial is widely seen as a test of Tanzania’s commitment to democratic principles. Analysts say the outcome could shape the political climate in the weeks leading up to the election.

“If Lissu is convicted, it will send a chilling message to the opposition and civil society,” said a political analyst based in Dar es Salaam. “It would signal that the state is willing to use the courts to sideline its most powerful critics.”

For now, Lissu remains in detention as the trial proceeds. His supporters continue to call for his release and the reinstatement of CHADEMA’s participation in the election. Whether their demands will be heard remains uncertain in a political landscape dominated by the ruling party for more than six decades.