Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu urges fair verdict in treason trial
Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has called on judges to deliver a fair and courageous verdict in his treason trial, which accuses him of inciting rebellion to disrupt the 2025 election. Lissu, detained since April 2025 and barred from running for president, denies the charges he says are politically motivated. The trial highlights concerns over democratic backsliding in Tanzania under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
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Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has urged the three-judge panel to reach an unbiased and courageous verdict in his treason trial, which is currently concluding with final submissions.
Lissu faces charges of inciting the public to rebel and prevent the 2025 general election from taking place, an offence that carries a potential death penalty. He has pleaded not guilty, with his defence arguing that the prosecution failed to prove its case, while prosecutors maintain the evidence meets legal standards.
The Chadema party leader, who came second in the 2020 presidential election, has been detained since April 2025. He was barred from running in the 2025 election after his party was disqualified for failing to sign a code of conduct, leaving only minor party candidates to challenge incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Lissu’s trial and the political context have drawn criticism over Tanzania’s democratic decline, including a shrinking civic space and a violent post-election crackdown. Lissu survived a 2017 assassination attempt but no suspects have been charged.