Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday following a conviction for incitement, a move met with immediate condemnation from rights monitors. While the court acquitted Lissu of the more severe charge of treason, the resulting prison term has drawn sharp criticism from Amnesty International, which labeled the legal proceedings a “deeply flawed process.”
A trial stripped of due process
Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, argued the verdict was illegitimate from the outset. “Tundu Lissu should never have been arrested, let alone prosecuted and convicted,” Chagutah said. “Today’s verdict and four-year prison sentence are the culmination of a deeply flawed process that was unjust from the moment of his arrest. He has already spent 577 days in arbitrary detention solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights.”
The human rights group detailed a series of systemic violations during the trial. According to Chagutah, Lissu was denied confidential access to his lawyers, a move that effectively forced him to represent himself. The group also reported that live broadcasts of the proceedings were disconnected. Beyond the courtroom, Chagutah noted that at least two international trial observers were allegedly arrested, tortured, and deported. During his time in custody, Lissu was reportedly held in inhumane conditions, specifically in a death row cell with limited access to religious services.
From political rally to Dar es Salaam
The legal proceedings against Lissu trace back to April 9, 2025, when he was arrested in Mbinga town, southwest Tanzania, following a political rally. Amnesty International reported that police used excessive force during the incident, employing teargas and firing shots into the air to disperse Lissu’s supporters. Following the arrest, Lissu was transferred under the cover of night to Dar es Salaam, located more than 1,000km away.
The charge of treason and election boycotts
On April 10, 2025, police formally charged Lissu with treason, a non-bailable offense. The prosecution centered on social media posts authored by Lissu on April 3, 2025, in which he urged Tanzanians to boycott the upcoming October 2025 elections due to concerns regarding potential electoral malpractice. Although Lissu was ultimately acquitted of this treason charge, the incitement conviction stands.
Demands for immediate release
Amnesty International has characterized the conviction as a misuse of security-related laws to target government critics. The organization has called on the Tanzanian government to take immediate corrective action.
“The Tanzanian authorities must quash Tundu Lissu’s conviction and sentence, immediately and unconditionally release him, and end the misuse of treason and other laws to silence government critics,” Chagutah demanded. “Amnesty International calls on the authorities to end their crackdown on critics and respect and uphold the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
