Tanzania: Tanzania Opposition Leader Lissu Cleared of Treason but Jailed for Incitement

What the report says

Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu has been sentenced to four years in prison after a court in Dar es Salaam found him guilty of incitement, while clearing him of treason earlier the same day. The treason ruling meant he avoided the possibility of a death sentence, according to the report carried by AllAfrica from RFI. Lissu, 58, leads Chadema, Tanzania’s main opposition party, and has been held since April 2025.

The case stems from comments he made while pushing for electoral reform under the slogan “No Reforms, No Election.” Prosecutors said his remarks were meant to disrupt the October 2025 election and encourage unrest, while Lissu argued that his campaign was lawful and that the charges were politically motivated. He represented himself during the trial and maintained that his words had been taken out of context.

The verdict comes against the backdrop of a disputed presidential election and a violent crackdown on protests, which has prompted criticism from abroad and renewed concern over political freedoms in Tanzania. British and European Union lawmakers have previously called for his release, saying the case risked turning the justice system into a tool of repression.

The report also notes that security was tightened around the courthouse before the ruling, and that Lissu’s arrest, Chadema’s exclusion from the vote, and alleged abductions of government critics helped fuel unrest after President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the election with 98% of the vote, a result rejected by the opposition.