Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu following his conviction and four-year prison sentence for incitement, describing the ruling as a miscarriage of justice.
The human rights organisation also demanded that Tanzanian authorities quash the conviction, arguing that the prosecution was characterised by violations of Lissu's right to a fair trial and was intended to punish him for exercising his fundamental freedoms.
Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said Lissu should never have been arrested or prosecuted, maintaining that the case was flawed from the beginning.
“Tundu Lissu should never have been arrested, let alone prosecuted and convicted. Today’s verdict and four-year prison sentence are the culmination of a deeply flawed process that was unjust from the moment of his arrest,” Chagutah said.
He added that Lissu had already spent 577 days in what the organisation described as arbitrary detention for peacefully exercising his human rights.
A three-judge panel at the High Court in Dar es Salaam acquitted Lissu of the more serious treason charge but found him guilty of incitement over his campaign slogan, “No Reforms, No Election”.
The court ruled that his statements, which were intended for public dissemination, encouraged supporters to disrupt the disputed 2025 General Election.
However, Amnesty International questioned the fairness of the proceedings, citing restrictions on Lissu's access to legal representation and the handling of the trial.
According to Chagutah, Lissu was denied confidential access to his lawyers, effectively forcing him to represent himself during the proceedings.
The organisation also raised concerns over the disconnection of live broadcasts of the trial and the arrest, alleged torture and deportation of at least two international trial observers.
Amnesty further claimed that Lissu was held in inhumane detention conditions, including confinement in a death row cell and limited access to religious services.
“The conviction and sentence cannot be considered the outcome of a fair trial,” Chagutah said.
He urged the Tanzanian government to reverse the decision and stop using treason and other criminal laws to silence critics of the administration.
“The Tanzanian authorities must quash Tundu Lissu’s conviction and sentence, immediately and unconditionally release him, and end the misuse of treason and other laws to silence government critics,” he said.
Amnesty also called on authorities to end what it described as a crackdown on critics and respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Lissu, who leads the opposition Chadema party, was arrested on April 9, 2025, following a political rally in Mbinga town in southwestern Tanzania.
During the arrest, police reportedly used tear gas and fired shots into the air to disperse his supporters before transferring him to Dar es Salaam, more than 1,000 kilometres away.
He was charged with treason the following day over social media posts published on April 3, 2025, in which he urged Tanzanians to boycott the October 2025 elections unless electoral reforms were implemented.
His campaign called for changes to the electoral system amid concerns about possible malpractice.
Amnesty International has previously documented what it describes as the misuse of counterterrorism and security-related laws to target opposition supporters and government critics in Tanzania.
The organisation said the authorities must uphold civil liberties and allow political actors to express dissent without facing arbitrary detention or prosecution.
Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu following his conviction and four-year prison sentence for incitement, describing the ruling as a miscarriage of justice.
The human rights organisation also demanded that Tanzanian authorities quash the conviction, arguing that the prosecution was characterised by violations of Lissu's right to a fair trial and was intended to punish him for exercising his fundamental freedoms.
Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said Lissu should never have been arrested or prosecuted, maintaining that the case was flawed from the beginning.
“Tundu Lissu should never have been arrested, let alone prosecuted and convicted. Today’s verdict and four-year prison sentence are the culmination of a deeply flawed process that was unjust from the moment of his arrest,” Chagutah said.
He added that Lissu had already spent 577 days in what the organisation described as arbitrary detention for peacefully exercising his human rights.
A three-judge panel at the High Court in Dar es Salaam acquitted Lissu of the more serious treason charge but found him guilty of incitement over his campaign slogan, “No Reforms, No Election”.
The court ruled that his statements, which were intended for public dissemination, encouraged supporters to disrupt the disputed 2025 General Election.
However, Amnesty International questioned the fairness of the proceedings, citing restrictions on Lissu's access to legal representation and the handling of the trial.
According to Chagutah, Lissu was denied confidential access to his lawyers, effectively forcing him to represent himself during the proceedings.
The organisation also raised concerns over the disconnection of live broadcasts of the trial and the arrest, alleged torture and deportation of at least two international trial observers.
Amnesty further claimed that Lissu was held in inhumane detention conditions, including confinement in a death row cell and limited access to religious services.
“The conviction and sentence cannot be considered the outcome of a fair trial,” Chagutah said.
He urged the Tanzanian government to reverse the decision and stop using treason and other criminal laws to silence critics of the administration.
“The Tanzanian authorities must quash Tundu Lissu’s conviction and sentence, immediately and unconditionally release him, and end the misuse of treason and other laws to silence government critics,” he said.
Amnesty also called on authorities to end what it described as a crackdown on critics and respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Lissu, who leads the opposition Chadema party, was arrested on April 9, 2025, following a political rally in Mbinga town in southwestern Tanzania.
During the arrest, police reportedly used tear gas and fired shots into the air to disperse his supporters before transferring him to Dar es Salaam, more than 1,000 kilometres away.
He was charged with treason the following day over social media posts published on April 3, 2025, in which he urged Tanzanians to boycott the October 2025 elections unless electoral reforms were implemented.
His campaign called for changes to the electoral system amid concerns about possible malpractice.
Amnesty International has previously documented what it describes as the misuse of counterterrorism and security-related laws to target opposition supporters and government critics in Tanzania.
The organisation said the authorities must uphold civil liberties and allow political actors to express dissent without facing arbitrary detention or prosecution.