Lissu, who has been detained since April of last year, was charged with making remarks intended to disrupt the October 2025 general election and threaten the government. The prosecution argued that his statements, circulated online and made during a campaign for electoral reforms, amounted to treason, an offense in Tanzania that can carry the death penalty. However, the court accepted that the evidence did not support the treason charge, instead convicting him of incitement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a fine.
“We are satisfied that through his statements, the accused intended to disrupt elections and instigate violence,” the presiding judge stated in a courtroom packed with supporters. In response, Lissu, who represented himself during the trial, rejected the verdict as “political persecution.” He accused the judiciary of following directives from the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, stating, “Excuses were created to imprison me… I was not charged with incitement but you judges are convicting me with it just to impress the person who gives you the titles.” Lissu has consistently maintained that his comments were part of a legitimate political campaign for constitutional and electoral reform, arguing that prosecutors had taken his statements out of context.
The trial has occurred against a backdrop of significant political tension. President Hassan won the October 2025 election with 98% of the vote, a result the opposition dismissed as a “mockery” of democracy, particularly as two main challengers, including Lissu, were excluded from the ballot. The election period was marked by a wave of arrests and abductions targeting opponents and critics, sparking widespread protests. The government reports that 518 people died during the unrest, while the opposition and human rights groups allege that security forces killed thousands. This discrepancy has fueled accusations that the state is weaponizing counterterrorism laws and the judicial system to suppress dissent.
Lissu’s arrest, which took place six months before the poll, followed the launch of his “No Reforms, No Election” campaign. Chadema had demanded several changes to the electoral system, including the independent appointment of electoral commissioners, the removal of government-appointed district chiefs as returning officers, and the ability to challenge presidential election results in court. The party also demanded that police allow all parties to campaign free of intimidation and that party agents be able to observe vote counting without harassment.
The case has drawn sharp criticism from international actors. Lawmakers from the United Kingdom and the European Union described the prosecution as politically motivated. Analysts had warned prior to the verdict that a treason conviction could trigger further unrest, leading to heightened security in Dar es Salaam and police warnings against groups allegedly mobilizing to stage a coup. The trial is increasingly viewed as a judgment on President Hassan’s administration and the broader democratic environment on the continent. Critics argue that the case, alongside similar prosecutions in Uganda, signals a shifting balance toward authoritarian power, exacerbated by the reduction of international support for democratic institutions following cuts to U.S. foreign assistance programs.
Lissu has been granted leave to appeal the conviction at the Court of Appeal, Tanzania’s highest court. As he awaits the next legal step, the case remains a symbol of the ongoing struggle for political space in Tanzania, where the long-ruling government faces growing domestic and international scrutiny over its handling of opposition voices.
