Tanzania’s main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, appeared in court on Monday for the first time since his arrest on treason charges. Lissu, who was shot 16 times in 2017 and finished second in the last presidential election, entered the courtroom with a raised fist as his supporters chanted “No Reforms, No Election.”
The trial had been delayed previously, as Lissu refused to attend a virtual hearing on April 24, where he appeared via video link from prison. “We will be fine. You should not fear,” Lissu told his supporters, signaling confidence as he took his place in the dock.
Lissu was charged with treason last month for allegedly inciting public rebellion and disrupting the upcoming elections, scheduled for October. On Monday, prosecutors informed the court that investigations were still ongoing, prompting the adjournment of the hearing until June 2, according to Lissu’s lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala.
The trial has drawn attention to the human rights record of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is planning to seek re-election. While Hassan claims her government respects human rights, Lissu’s CHADEMA party has called for electoral reforms, arguing that the current system favors the ruling party.
A number of Kenyan rights activists were barred from entering Tanzania to attend the trial. Among those detained at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport were Kenya’s former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, who were later sent back to Nairobi. Karua criticized the move, saying, “The state cannot be used as a personal tool,” in reference to the deportations.
