Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu appeared in court Monday, charged with treason over a speech in April. The trial comes weeks before national elections, from which Lissu’s CHADEMA party has been barred, raising alarm among human rights advocates.
Prosecutors allege Lissu’s speech encouraged public rebellion and disruption of the upcoming vote, which his party vowed to boycott over electoral concerns. Lissu, who finished second in 2020’s presidential race, accused the commission of favouring the ruling CCM party of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The opposition leader survived a 2017 assassination attempt, in which he was shot 16 times, but no one has been charged in the case. He pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer denounced the charges as politically motivated, framing the trial as part of wider repression.
On Monday, CHADEMA said judges were expected to hear testimonies from the first state witnesses, while Lissu remained “firm, steadfast, and ready.” Supporters reported beatings and obstruction at the courtroom, while the court banned live coverage to protect witness identities, according to lawyers.
His arrest, along with alleged abductions of other critics, has intensified scrutiny of President Hassan’s human rights record ahead of October 28 elections. Tanzania’s electoral commission barred CHADEMA after it failed to sign a code of conduct, also disqualifying Lissu from contesting the presidency.
President Hassan, initially praised for easing political repression after taking office in 2021, faces growing criticism over arrests and disappearances of opposition figures. She maintains her administration respects human rights and has ordered investigations into last year’s abductions, though findings remain unpublished.