Tanzania - Free Tundu Lissu

TANZANIA - Update on the Tundu Lissu case

July 15, 2025:

July 15, 2025 - Tanzania. Update on the Tundu Lissu case

Opposition leader arrested on vague charges

The international support team for Tundu Lissu, lawyer and parliamentarian, leader of the strongest opposition party in Tanzania, a nation continuously ruled by a single party, updates us on the progress of his case. Recall that Tanzania is due to hold general elections in October, and international observers believe that Lissu was arrested on surreptitious charges in order to prevent him from participating in the campaign and elections. On the surreptitious accusation that the Chadema Party (“Party of Democracy and Development”, a party of liberal-democratic inspiration) is proposing anti-corruption measures that would play into the hands of foreign countries, under an executive order from the acting president of the republic Chadema will not be allowed to stand in the elections, and to be on the safe side, the government appears to be the main, if not sole, inspirer of Lissu's arrest, who is accused of “treason”. As we learn from today's update, the Public Prosecution does not seem to be able to present evidence to support this accusation, and is requesting a postponement of the committal hearing. (On the Lissu case see also HoC 19/06/2025 and 28/06/2025).

This is the text of the update sent by DUA (Democracy Union of Africa) and the editors of the #FreeTunduLissu! Campaign.

July 15, 2025 – Tanzania. Tundu Lissu Treason case was brought to the Kisutu Resident magistrate court in Dar es Salaam.
Principally, the competent court to hear this kind of case is the high court of Tanzania. The resident magistrate court is only for committal purposes.
Third month now, the magistrate court has failed to conclude the committal process to allow hearings at the high court.
State prosecutors have always been asking for endless and baseless adjournments which have always been granted by the magistrate.
Today, the case was adjourned again to July 30.
It's not a surprise as state has no proof to make this a case before the competent court.
Adjournments are the state tactics to give the incumbent President and her party an easy ride to the October polls by ensuring Lissu is not out of prison until then.
With a highly instrumentalized judiciary, the resident magistrate has been playing according to the whims of state prosecutors by unreasonably granting their baseless adjournment requests.
Tundu Lissu is still in a death row at Ukonga maximum security prison.