The High Court of Tanzania sentenced opposition leader Tundu Lissu to four years in prison for incitement on Friday, November 6, 2026, in Dar es Salaam, while acquitting him of the charge of treason, which could have exposed him to the death penalty.
The verdict was delivered by a panel of three judges chaired by Dunstan Ndunguru. The court found that the prosecution had not demonstrated that Tundu Lissu intended to intimidate the government, a necessary element to establish treason.
The magistrates nevertheless ruled that his statements calling for the prevention of the 2025 general election constituted incitement within the meaning of Article 390 of the Penal Code. They applied a procedural provision allowing for a lesser offense than the one originally pursued to be retained.
Tundu Lissu rejected this characterization and described his trial as political persecution. The Chadema leader maintains that his remarks were part of a campaign in favor of electoral reforms, while the Tanzanian government denies accusations of opposition repression.
The 58-year-old opposition figure was arrested on April 9, 2025, following a rally focused on electoral reforms. He remained in detention for more than eighteen months and did not participate in the October 2025 election, from which the candidates of the two main opposition parties had been excluded.
The election was followed by deadly protests in several cities. A commission appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan recorded at least 518 deaths, while human rights organizations accused security forces of excessive use of force. The government attributed the violence to the protesters and denied the existence of a repression campaign.
Tundu Lissu had already survived an assassination attempt in 2017, during which he was hit by sixteen bullets. No suspects have been charged in this case, and the opposition figure then lived in exile for several years before returning to Tanzania in 2023.
The decision may be appealed. Brenda Rupia, spokesperson for Chadema, told Reuters that the party intends to challenge the conviction.
