Tanzania’s main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, has been found guilty of incitement but acquitted of treason following a trial linked to his calls for electoral reforms ahead of the disputed 2025 general election.
A three-judge bench at the High Court in Dar es Salaam convicted the 58-year-old Chadema party leader, who has been in detention since April 2025.
Lissu was charged over remarks he made during a campaign calling for changes to Tanzania’s electoral system under the slogan “No Reforms, No Election”.
Prosecutors accused him of making statements intended to incite the public to disrupt the election and threaten the government.
However, the court acquitted him of treason, a serious offence that carries the death penalty in Tanzania.
Lissu, who represented himself during the trial, had denied all charges, describing the prosecution as politically motivated and arguing that his remarks were part of a legitimate campaign for constitutional and electoral reforms.
His demands included independent appointment of electoral commissioners, freedom for opposition parties to campaign without intimidation, unrestricted access for party agents to observe vote counting and the right to challenge presidential election results in court.
Lissu has been granted leave to appeal the conviction at the Court of Appeal, Tanzania’s highest court.
His prosecution has attracted international attention, with human rights organisations raising concerns over political freedoms and the treatment of opposition figures in the country.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the October 2025 election with 98 per cent of the vote, after her two main challengers, including Lissu, were excluded from the race.
The opposition dismissed the outcome as a mockery of democracy, while the government maintained that the election was fair and transparent.
The election was followed by widespread protests and a security crackdown that left at least 500 people dead, according to an official inquiry. Opposition groups have disputed the figure, claiming the death toll was significantly higher and demanding an independent investigation.
Lissu has been one of the most outspoken critics of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.
In September 2017, he survived an assassination attempt after gunmen shot at his vehicle outside his home in Dodoma.
He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and underwent extensive medical treatment abroad.
He returned to Tanzania in 2023 after President Samia lifted a ban on opposition political rallies.
In January 2025, he became Chadema’s national chairman and stepped up demands for electoral reforms ahead of the general election.
His conviction comes amid renewed criticism of the government's handling of political dissent, with Amnesty International recently accusing authorities of using counterterrorism laws to silence critics following the disputed election.
