Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been handed a four-year prison sentence after a court cleared him of treason but convicted him of incitement, bringing an end to a high-profile trial that had raised fears of a possible death sentence and attracted international criticism.
The ruling was delivered on Friday in Dar es Salaam, where the court found Lissu guilty of inciting unrest, despite the offence not being among the original charges brought against him. He had initially faced treason charges, which carry the death penalty in Tanzania.
The Chadema chairman, who has spent 19 months in custody, was arrested ahead of the October 2025 presidential election as part of a case that attracted widespread attention from opposition groups and international observers.
In delivering the verdict, the judge said Lissu's statements were intended to interfere with the electoral process and provoke violence.
"We are satisfied that through his statements, the accused intended to disrupt elections and instigate violence," the judge told a courtroom packed with his supporters.
Lissu rejected the ruling, describing the proceedings as "political persecution" and accusing the judges of acting under instructions from President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government.
"Excuses were created to imprison me," he told the court.
He further questioned the decision to convict him on a charge that had not formed part of the original case.
"I was not charged with incitement but you judges are convicting me with it just to impress the person who gives you the titles. I believe these were directives," he said.
The case unfolded against a backdrop of growing political tension in Tanzania, where the government faced criticism over its treatment of opposition figures and critics in the period leading up to the 2025 General Election.
Authorities conducted a series of arrests and abductions targeting government critics before the October 2025 polls, triggering widespread protests during the election period.
President Hassan eventually won the election with 98 per cent of the vote, although the process was followed by allegations of widespread violence and a deadly security crackdown.
Opposition groups and human rights organisations reported that thousands of people were killed during the unrest, while the government placed the death toll at 518.
Security was tightened in Dar es Salaam ahead of Friday's judgment, with police deployed around the courthouse and other parts of the commercial capital.
Authorities also issued warnings against individuals suspected of planning to stage a coup as the country awaited the outcome of the closely watched proceedings.