Tanzania’s Lissu Cleared of Treason, Jailed for Incitement

Tanzania’s High Court acquitted opposition leader Tundu Lissu of treason on Friday but convicted him of the lesser offence of incitement and sentenced him to four years in prison. The treason charge carried a possible death sentence.

A three-judge panel led by Justice Dunstan Ndunguru ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove Lissu intended to intimidate the government. It convicted him instead of incitement under Section 390 of the Penal Code, which had been included as an alternative to treason.

The court found he had incited people to disrupt last year’s election. The case concerned a speech in which prosecutors said Lissu told supporters the opposition would “block the election” and “mobilise rebellion.” Lissu, chairman of the main opposition party Chadema, arrested on 9 April 2025 after a rally, told the court: “Those who are innocent, like me, do not apologize.” He was taken back to prison.

His lead lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, said the defence planned to appeal and seek bail pending the appeal. Amnesty International called the conviction a “travesty of justice” and demanded his release.

Rights groups and his supporters say the case is politically motivated, and informed observers note that his detention, Chadema’s disqualification from the vote and allegations of abductions of government critics helped drive protests during last year’s elections. The judgment came days after Lissu’s elder brother, Alute Mughwai Lissu, died on Sunday, and Lissu asked the court to release him to attend the burial.