CHRAGG calls for dialogue after Lissu conviction
The Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance says disputes over the ruling belong in lawful channels, not the street.
Four years in prison: that is the sentence the High Court in Dar es Salaam handed Tundu Lissu, chairman of the opposition party CHADEMA, after it acquitted him of treason on November 6 but convicted him of incitement. The Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG) has now urged respect for judicial independence and constructive dialogue over the case.
In a position statement issued in Dodoma on November 13, the commission said disagreements over the judgment should be pursued through the constitution and through lawful, democratic channels. It said it had no power to review or overturn the court's findings. Its records showed Lissu's arrest on April 9, 2025, his appearance before the Kisutu Resident Magistrates' Court the next day, and his committal and trial all followed the criminal procedure framework.
CHRAGG cautioned that following procedure is not the same as meeting every human rights duty, and pointed to access to a lawyer and time to prepare a defence. An inquiry it opened on June 27, 2025 found Lissu had freedom of worship, privacy, contact with his legal team and exercise while in custody. The commission added that peaceful calls for constitutional and electoral reform must be kept separate from criminal conduct.
Why it mattersLissu, who has been sentenced to four years, and his party now face a dispute over the ruling that the commission says must be settled through the courts and the constitution.