Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu appeared in court on Monday to face treason charges in the capital Dar es Salaam, just weeks before the country holds a general election that his party has been barred from contesting.
Lissu, who finished second in the 2020 presidential election, was arrested in April after prosecutors accused him of making a speech that allegedly urged the public to rebel and disrupt the upcoming vote scheduled for October 28.
The CHADEMA party leader has pleaded not guilty, describing the charges as politically motivated. His lawyer, Jebra Kambole, said the case was designed to silence dissent ahead of the polls.
According to CHADEMA, judges were expected to hear testimony from the first state witnesses on Monday. In a statement issued late Sunday, the party said Lissu remained “firm, steadfast, and ready” as the trial began.
Kambole told Reuters that several of Lissu’s supporters were blocked and beaten outside the courthouse, while the court itself banned live coverage at the prosecution’s request, citing the need to protect witness identities.
Lissu has been one of the most vocal critics of President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has governed Tanzania since independence in 1961. He had vowed to boycott the election unless major electoral reforms were enacted, arguing that the system is skewed in favor of the ruling party.
The Tanzania Electoral Commission barred CHADEMA in April from participating in the poll, saying the party failed to sign a required code of conduct. The commission also disqualified the leader of the country’s second-largest opposition party, effectively leaving only candidates from minor parties to challenge President Hassan.
Lissu’s arrest and the reported abductions of government critics over the past year have intensified scrutiny of President Hassan’s human rights record.
Hassan, who initially drew praise after assuming office in 2021 for easing political restrictions and restoring some press freedoms curtailed under her predecessor John Magufuli, has since faced mounting criticism from rights groups over the treatment of opposition figures.
She has pledged that her government remains committed to upholding human rights, and last year ordered an investigation into alleged abductions of activists and journalists. However, the findings of that inquiry have not been made public.
Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 after being shot 16 times, remains one of Tanzania’s most prominent opposition figures. His ongoing trial is expected to last several weeks and could have far-reaching implications for the country’s political climate ahead of the October vote.
Source:Africa Publicity
