Tundu Lissu cleared of treason but sentenced to four years for incitement
Tanzania’s High Court acquitted opposition leader Tundu Lissu of treason but convicted him of incitement and imposed a four-year prison sentence. Judges ruled on his calls for electoral reform before the disputed 2025 election. Lissu calls the case political, contests the alternative conviction and has permission to take an appeal.
Geopolitics··Evening
Judges acquit and convict on different charges
Tanzania’s High Court acquitted opposition leader Tundu Lissu of treason but convicted him of incitement on Friday. The panel said prosecutors had failed to establish a necessary element of treason, while finding grounds for the lesser offence over statements connected to the 2025 general election.[1], [2]
The three judges in Dar es Salaam imposed a four-year prison sentence. Lissu, the 58-year-old chairman of the opposition Chadema party, has been detained since April 2025. He denies wrongdoing and calls the prosecution politically motivated.[1]
Lissu challenges the alternative offence
The court treated his campaign slogan opposing elections without reforms as incitement to disrupt voting. Lissu, a lawyer who represented himself, argued that his statements were legitimate campaigning for constitutional and electoral reform. He said he had been charged only with treason and accused the judges of creating another offence. He wants to seek bail, which is available for incitement, and has leave to appeal to Tanzania’s highest court.[1]
The dispute follows a contested election
Chadema sought independently appointed election commissioners, campaigning without police intimidation and an end to government-appointed district officials overseeing voting. President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the October 2025 election with 98 per cent of the vote. Opposition groups rejected the result after leading challengers, including Lissu, were excluded. The government repeatedly denies targeting political opponents.[1]
