Tanzania’s main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, will represent himself in his ongoing treason trial, the court ruled Monday.
Lissu was arrested on April 9 after speaking at a rally demanding electoral reforms ahead of the October general elections.
Charged with treason, Lissu claims prison authorities have repeatedly denied him private meetings with his lawyers.
“I have more than 30 lawyers whom I trust,” he told the Kisutu court, “but I have been forced to consult them by phone.”
He expressed concern that his conversations could be monitored, compromising his right to a fair defense.
The chief magistrate, Franco Kiswaga, allowed Lissu to communicate directly with prosecutors, urging a swift investigation and a hearing date by July 1.
Lissu also protested his prison conditions, saying he is held in a death row section despite not being convicted.
His Chadema party criticizes the ruling CCM party’s grip on power since Tanzania’s independence in 1961, highlighting a lack of electoral fairness.
Lissu survived a 2017 assassination attempt, shot 16 times three years before the last elections, underscoring his fraught political journey.
Human rights activists accuse President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government of suppressing opposition through heavy-handed measures.
The government denies these allegations, maintaining its stance amid growing political tensions ahead of the polls.
Lissu’s case is now a focal point for debate over democracy and justice in Tanzania’s evolving political landscape.