Tanzania Charges Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu With Treason
The Tanzanian government, on Thursday, charged prominent opposition leader Tundu Lissu with treason over remarks he made regarding the upcoming general elections.
Lissu, chairman of the main opposition party CHADEMA and a key challenger in the 2020 presidential election, is accused of inciting rebellion and urging the public to disrupt the electoral process scheduled for later this year.
Treason is considered a capital offence in Tanzania.
The charges have sparked renewed concerns over President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s commitment to human rights, especially as she seeks a second term in office.
Lissu was arrested on Wednesday following a political rally in Ruvuma, reports Reuters.
He appeared in court in Dar es Salaam, where he was not permitted to enter a plea for the treason charge and was ordered to remain in custody.
However, he pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of spreading false information. His next court appearance is set for April 24.
Lissu’s lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, dismissed the charges as politically motivated.
“These charges cannot be separated from politics,” he told Reuters, adding that “he was simply educating CHADEMA supporters during the campaign.”
CHADEMA has threatened to boycott both presidential and parliamentary elections expected in October unless major reforms are implemented in what they claim is a biased electoral system favouring the ruling party.
However, a formal election date has yet to be announced.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged treasonous statements were made by Lissu during a public gathering in Dar es Salaam on April 3.
He is quoted as saying, “It is true we say we will prevent the election. We will inspire rebellion. That is the way to get change. We are going to spoil this election. We are going to really disrupt it… very badly.”
Lissu is a prominent figure in Tanzanian politics and survived an assassination attempt in 2017, during which he was shot 16 times.
No arrests have been made in connection with that attack, though it was publicly condemned by the former President John Magufuli.
President Hassan initially gained praise after taking office in 2021 for easing restrictions on political opposition and media imposed under Magufuli’s rule.
However, recent arrests, abductions, and alleged killings of political opponents have drawn criticism from human rights advocates.
Hassan has stated that her government remains committed to upholding human rights and has ordered investigations into reports of abductions.
Tanzania Charges Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu With Treason is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
