Tanzania opposition leader sentenced to four years in treason trial

Tanzania was considered one of the more stable democracies in Africa but has seen its reputation plummet as the long-ruling government has cracked down brutally

Tanzania's main opposition leader Tundu Lissu waves as he arrives at the High Court to attend his treason trial, in Dar es Salaam on November 6, 2026.

Lissu, head of the main opposition party, Chadema, was arrested ahead of last year's presidential election on treason charges and has spent 19 months in jail.

The court said he was not guilty of treason, but instead convicted him of incitement -- even though it was not among the charges in the case -- and sentenced him to four years in prison.

"We are satisfied that through his statements, the accused intended to disrupt elections and instigate violence," the judge told a courtroom packed with his supporters.

Lissu responded that the trial was "political persecution", accusing the judges of following orders from the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Source: Citizen Digital