Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, announced on Friday that it has been unable to determine the whereabouts of its leader, Tundu Lissu, after he was moved from the prison where he had been held following his arrest on treason charges last week.
Senior CHADEMA officials, Lissu’s lawyers, and family members attempted multiple times on Friday to visit him at the Dar es Salaam jail where he had been detained since April 9 but were unsuccessful in their efforts. Authorities from the prison service could not be reached for immediate comment.
Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa did not respond to calls or text messages seeking clarification.
“CHADEMA urges the Prisons Service and relevant government agencies to provide information about Lissu’s current location,” the party said in a statement.
Lissu, who was the runner-up in Tanzania’s 2020 presidential election, faces charges of treason, related to a speech in which prosecutors claim he called for public rebellion and attempts to disrupt the election. He was not allowed to enter a plea during his appearance on the charges.
These developments have drawn increased attention to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s human rights record, as she prepares for re-election later this year.
The country’s election commission recently announced that CHADEMA would be disqualified from the upcoming October elections due to the party’s refusal to sign a code of conduct, citing demands for electoral reforms.
While Hassan initially received praise for loosening restrictions on political opposition and media censorship after taking office in 2021, following the death of her predecessor John Magufuli, she has faced growing criticism from human rights groups over recent arrests and the mysterious disappearances and deaths of political rivals.
Hassan has pledged her government’s commitment to human rights and has ordered an investigation into allegations of abductions reported last year.
