Tanzania Court Orders Tundu Lissu Treason Trial to Proceed

A Tanzanian court has ruled that opposition leader Tundu Lissu has a case to answer in his treason trial, clearing the way for proceedings to continue in a case that could carry a death sentence if he is convicted.

Lissu, the leader of the opposition Chadema party, was arrested in April 2025 and charged with treason over allegations that he incited the public to boycott elections.

The ruling was delivered on Friday by a three-judge High Court bench after prosecutors presented their case and called 17 witnesses to testify against the opposition leader.

Judge Dunstan Ndunguru announced the court's decision, saying the prosecution had established a case that required Lissu to respond to the allegations.

Tight Security as Supporters Fill Courtroom

Security was tightened around the High Court as Lissu's supporters gathered for the ruling. Foreign diplomats were also present at the proceedings.

The decision marks a significant stage in a case that has drawn international attention and renewed scrutiny of Tanzania's treatment of political opposition.

Lissu has represented himself during the proceedings and has indicated that he intends to call several senior government officials as defence witnesses.

Among those he has identified is President Samia Suluhu Hassan, whom he asked the court to summon.

“I need to meet my lawyers and witnesses but they are not allowed to visit me in the prison,” Lissu told the court, urging the judges to address the difficulties he faces in preparing his defence.

Opposition Leader Faces Potential Death Penalty

Treason is among the most serious offences under Tanzanian law and can carry the death penalty.

Lissu has been a prominent opposition campaigner for years and returned to Tanzania from exile in 2023. He has faced repeated arrests and survived an assassination attempt in 2017.

His latest prosecution follows a political campaign by Chadema ahead of the country's elections last year.

The party organised a reform campaign under the slogan “No Reforms, No Elections,” demanding changes to the electoral system before the polls. Lissu was subsequently arrested and charged with treason.

Political Tensions Surround the Case

Chadema has accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan of returning to the repressive tactics associated with her predecessor, the late President John Magufuli.

The government has rejected such accusations.

Tanzania has faced international criticism following deadly violence surrounding elections in November. Opposition groups and rights organisations have alleged that thousands of people were killed by security forces during the unrest.

The government has said that more than 500 people were killed during the election-related violence, but has not attributed responsibility for the deaths.

Hassan won the election with 98 percent of the vote, according to official results, amid a highly contested political environment.

Trial Enters Next Phase

The finding that Lissu has a case to answer means the defence phase of the treason proceedings can now begin.

Lissu's decision to represent himself and his request to call senior government officials as witnesses could make the next stage of the trial particularly closely watched.

For Tanzania's opposition and its international observers, the proceedings have become an important test of the country's political environment, judicial process and treatment of dissent.

As Lissu prepares his defence, the case continues to carry consequences well beyond the courtroom, with questions over political freedoms and accountability at the centre of the wider debate.