In brief
Tanzania’s opposition leader Tundu Lissu was handed a four‑year prison term on Friday after the High Court in Dar Es Salaam found him guilty of incitement. The decision concluded a 576‑day treason trial in which Lissu had been acquitted of the more serious charge. Heavy police security surrounded the court and key city intersections as the ruling was read.
Tanzania’s opposition leader Tundu Lissu was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday, after a 576‑day trial ended with a conviction for incitement, according to an Xinhua report published at 21:54 UTC.
The High Court of the Dar Es Salaam Sub‑Registry read the ruling in the Posta area, where police had positioned armed officers on major roads to guard the court premises and key junctions such as Ubungo, Mwenge and Buguruni. Patrols were also stationed at Bus Rapid Transit stations.
Judge Dunstan Ndunguru delivered the judgment, citing Section 390 of the Penal Code as the offense and Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Act as the legal basis for convicting Lissu of a lesser charge after the treason charge was found unproven. He said evidence from prosecution and defense showed Lissu’s statements urging the public to disrupt the 2025 general election amount to incitement.
Lissu, the national chairman of the opposition party CHADEMA, had been arrested on April 9, 2025 in Mbinga District, Ruvuma Region, and remained in custody during the proceedings because treason is a non‑bailable offense.
The prosecution called 17 witnesses and also heard testimony that Lissu’s words influenced some to take part in activities aimed at disrupting the election. In his defense, Lissu acknowledged making the statements but rejected the treason interpretation, describing them as legitimate political discourse.
BBC News reported that Lissu said he had only been charged with treason, not incitement, and added,
'The offence of incitement is one that you, honourable judges, have manufactured.'The outlet listed the statement as unverified.
Xinhua noted that the court had considered the prosecution’s claims of intimidation and Lissu’s own admission of the statements, concluding that a conviction for incitement was warranted.
Security forces maintained order outside the court as supporters from CHADEMA gathered, though traffic remained largely smooth in the Posta and Kisutu districts.
The sentencing marks the end of a protracted legal battle that began when the High Court dismissed the treason charge for lack of intent to intimidate the government, a decision highlighted by Judge Ndunguru in his ruling.
With the verdict, Lissu will serve a four‑year term in a Tanzanian prison, while the case underlines the judicial approach to political dissent ahead of the nation’s 2025 general election.
