Tanzania opposition leader Lissu cleared of treason but jailed for incitement

A panel of three judges at the High Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial capital, convicted the 58-year-old leader of the country's main opposition party, Chadema, over remarks he made calling for electoral reforms.

"We are satisfied that through his statements, the accused intended to disrupt elections and instigate violence," a judge told a courtroom packed with supporters, French news agency AFP reported.

Lissu has been detained since April 2025. He has denied any wrongdoing, arguing that his campaign was lawful and the charges against him politically motivated.

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Campaign in the dock

His arrest came six months before the October 2025 vote, shortly after he launched a drive for changes to Tanzania's electoral system under the slogan "No Reforms, No Election".

Prosecutors argued that his statements were intended to disrupt the vote and threaten the government, amounting to treason.

Lissu, a lawyer who represented himself during the trial, maintained that his comments had been taken out of context and that he had committed no crime.

"My hope is that you will carry that heavy historical burden without bias, with courage and with the dignity carried by your judicial oaths," he told the panel in his closing arguments.

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Criticism abroad

The trial drew criticism from British and European Union lawmakers, who described it as politically driven and called for Lissu's immediate release.

"The use of capital punishment against a political opponent risks turning the justice system into an instrument of political repression," they wrote in a letter to President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Security was tightened across Dar es Salaam and around the courthouse ahead of Friday's verdict, as Lissu's supporters gathered for the hearing.

Groups were mobilising to travel to the city, police said on Wednesday, warning against "those who want to stage a coup".

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Death toll in dispute

Lissu's arrest, Chadema's disqualification and alleged abductions of government critics helped fuel protests during last year's presidential election.

Hassan won with 98 percent of the vote after her two main challengers, including Lissu, were excluded. The opposition dismissed the result as a "mockery" of democracy.

A government-appointed commission put the death toll at at least 518, blaming protesters for the violence. Opposition groups and human rights organisations say the authorities killed thousands.

Accusations that security forces used excessive force have been rejected by the government. The election was fair and transparent, Hassan has insisted, blaming foreigners for the unrest.

(with newswires)