Tundu Lissu convicted of incitement, sentenced to four years
Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was found not guilty of treason but convicted of incitement on November 6, 2026.
The High Court in Dar es Salaam on Friday, November 6, 2026, convicted Tundu Lissu, national chairperson of CHADEMA, of incitement and sentenced him to four years in prison. A three-judge panel ruled that his April 2025 election remarks did not prove the intention to intimidate the government required for treason, but instead encouraged non-peaceful obstruction of the election. This verdict removes the possibility of a death sentence but does not secure Lissu's immediate release.
Lissu challenges the incitement conviction and has requested bail pending his appeal, partly to attend his elder brother Alute’s burial. The court proceedings concluded without an announced decision on bail. The case has been ongoing since Lissu's arrest after a CHADEMA rally in Mbinga, involving a lengthy committal process at Kisutu and a High Court trial that faced disputes over anonymous witnesses, courtroom access, and police evidence.
The trial's basis lies in Lissu's April 3, 2025, speech at CHADEMA's Mikocheni offices, where he discussed the party's 'No Reforms, No Election' campaign. Prosecutors argued his statements about stopping the election and mobilising rebellion indicated an intent to intimidate the executive, while Lissu maintained they were part of a political campaign for electoral reform. He was arrested on April 9, 2025, in Mbinga and charged with treason on April 10, 2025, at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court.
Why it mattersTanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu faces a four-year prison sentence after being convicted of incitement, impacting his political activities and freedom.