Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been cleared of treason but found guilty of incitement and sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Dar es Salaam.
The verdict was delivered on Friday, November 6, in a packed courtroom under heavy police security. Officers escorted Lissu, chairperson of Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, into the hearing.
Footage shared by CHADEMA on X showed Lissu being led by guards, some of them wearing masks. He raised his fist and shouted “Do not fear!” in Swahili before telling supporters in the dock: “We will arrive.”
Lissu was arrested in April 2025 after a speech in which prosecutors alleged he had urged supporters to “block the election” and “mobilise rebellion”. He denied the charges, saying his remarks had not broken the law.
CHADEMA spokesperson Brenda Rupia told Reuters that Lissu would appeal against the four-year sentence. The party’s chief legal counsel, Rugemeleza Nshala, said his legal team would also apply for bail while the appeal was being considered.
Amnesty International condemned the conviction, describing it as a “travesty of justice” and calling for Lissu to be released.
“Tundu Lissu should never have been arrested, let alone prosecuted and convicted,” said Tigere Chagutah, the organisation’s regional director for East and Southern Africa.
The case has unfolded amid heightened political tensions in Tanzania. Lissu’s arrest and CHADEMA’s disqualification from the October 2025 election led to protests in several cities.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan won that election with nearly 98 per cent of the vote. A commission appointed by the president reported in April that at least 518 people had died during the unrest.
The government blamed protesters for the violence and rejected allegations that security forces had used excessive force.
Tanzania is also pursuing bilateral mining partnerships in Africa and preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
United States Ambassador to Tanzania William Trachman said on X on Thursday, November 5, that he was closely monitoring Lissu’s case and its “broader implications for the rule of law”.
His comments came after Washington began reviewing bilateral relations with Tanzania last December.
