The Trial for Treason Against Tanzanian Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu Has Resumed

After a five-month hiatus, Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason trial started on Monday. The case has garnered international attention due to the political situation in the country. The opposition Chadema party’s chairman, Lissu, has been detained since April 2025 after being accused of treason, a crime in Tanzania that carries the death penalty.

Lissu accused prosecutors outside the Dar es Salaam courthouse of deliberately postponing the case to keep him in custody, claiming their goal was “to waste time so that I can continue to remain in remand custody.

Since February, the trial has been put on hold while the prosecution appeals a decision that permitted more evidence. Last month, Tanzania’s Court of Appeal rejected that challenge, allowing the case to proceed.

Chadema claimed the prosecution has been used to stifle legitimate dissent and characterised the hearing as a crucial test of Tanzania’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and political liberties.

The trial comes after Tanzania’s handling of protests in the run-up to last year’s elections was widely criticised. Lissu’s supporters accuse President Samia Suluhu Hassan of bringing back the oppressive methods used by former President John Magufuli; the administration has repeatedly denied this.

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