Tanzanian opposition leader convicted of incitement, acquitted of treason

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 6 Nov, 16:41 · Archive

Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been sentenced to four years in prison for incitement but acquitted of the more serious charge of treason.

Tundu Lissu, the 58-year-old leader of Tanzania's main opposition party Chadema, has been sentenced to four years in prison for incitement after being found not guilty of the more serious charge of treason. The three-judge panel at the High Court in Dar es Salaam handed down the verdict on Friday. By acquitting him of treason, the judges removed the threat of a death sentence.

Lissu was charged over remarks he made while campaigning for electoral reforms under the slogan "No Reforms, No Election" ahead of the disputed October 2025 general election. According to the prosecution, his statements were intended to incite the public to disrupt the election and threaten the government. Prosecutors said he had told supporters the opposition would "block the election" and "mobilise rebellion".

The judges found that Lissu's statements were intended to disrupt the election and encourage violence. One judge told the courtroom: "We are satisfied that through his statements, the accused intended to disrupt elections and instigate violence." He has leave to appeal at the Court of Appeal, Tanzania's highest court.

Lissu disputed his conviction on incitement, arguing that this was not among the charges he had originally faced. After the verdict, he told the court that the trial was "political persecution" and accused the judges of following orders from President Samia Suluhu Hassan. "I was not charged with incitement but you judges are convicting me with it just to impress the person who gives you the titles," he said. Lissu has consistently maintained his innocence, describing the prosecution as politically motivated.

Lissu was arrested in April 2025, six months before the presidential election. The October 2025 election, which the president won with 98 per cent of the vote, was marked by the exclusion of opposition candidates and protests that resulted in deaths. Opposition figures and rights groups put the death toll in the thousands, whilst a government commission appointed by President Hassan reported in April that at least 518 people had been killed.

How it is being reported

• Tanzanian opposition leader jailed in ‘politically motivated’ caseTanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been jailed in a case widely condemned as politically motivated.Al Jazeera · 6 Nov, 19:42
• Tanzania: Opposition leader Tundu Lissu jailed for four yearsTanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been sentenced to four years in prison after being cleared of treason. Lissu condemned his conviction for incitement, which had not been among the charges he faced.DW News · 6 Nov, 12:19
• Tanzania court jails opposition leader for incitement, lifts treason chargeDismissal of treason charge means Tundu Lissu avoids threat of death penalty.Al Jazeera · 6 Nov, 11:56
• Tanzanian opposition leader found guilty of incitementThe 58-year-old, who has been detained since April last year, was acquitted of the more serious charge of treason.BBC World · 6 Nov, 09:33

In this story: Tundu Lissu · Samia Suluhu Hassan · Chadema · Tanzania · Dar es Salaam

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log