The trial has added to rising issues throughout East Africa about threats to democracy.
The chief of Tanzania’s foremost opposition get together has appeared in courtroom at a listening to in an ongoing trial on fees of treason, through which he doubtlessly faces the demise penalty.
Tundu Lissu issued a message of defiance to supporters on Monday as he took his place within the dock at Kisutu Resident Justice of the Peace’s Courtroom within the capital, Dar-es-Salaam. The trial has added to rising issues throughout East Africa about threats to democracy.
Lissu entered the courtroom together with his fist raised within the air as supporters chanted, “No reforms, no election”, based on a video of the courtroom shared by his Chadema get together on X.
“We might be nice. … Don’t fear in any respect,” Lissu mentioned as he addressed supporters.
The opposition chief, who got here second within the 2020 presidential election, insisted on attending the proceedings in particular person after being compelled to seem through videolink from jail for an earlier listening to on April 24.
Lissu, who was shot 16 occasions in a 2017 assault, was charged with treason final month over what prosecutors mentioned was a speech calling on the general public to insurgent and disrupt presidential and legislative elections scheduled for October.
His Chadema get together has been disqualified from this year’s polls after demanding modifications to an electoral course of that it mentioned favours the ruling get together, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, which has been in energy for the reason that nation’s independence from British rule in 1961.
#NoReformsNoElection pic.twitter.com/DYxD1RauWl
— Chadema Tanzania (@ChademaTZ2) May 19, 2025
A sequence of high-profile arrests has highlighted the rights file of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who plans to hunt re-election in October. She has insisted that the federal government is dedicated to respecting human rights.
Nonetheless, a number of Kenyan rights activists, together with a former justice minister, mentioned they have been denied entry to Tanzania as they tried to journey to attend Lissu’s trial.
The previous minister, Martha Karua, a outstanding lawyer and opposition politician, and former Supreme Courtroom President Willy Mutunga have been amongst these detained once they landed at Julius Nyerere Worldwide Airport in Dar-es-Salaam, they mentioned on X.
Tanzania’s immigration spokesperson Paul Mselle didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
“In the present day was going to be a giant day, and we went on the market in solidarity,” Karua advised the Kenyan broadcaster NTV on Monday after she was denied entry and despatched again to Nairobi.
“The state can’t be used as a private software. You can’t deport individuals whom you don’t like, who usually are not aligned to your views.”
We, @WMutunga, @Honeyfarsafi and I, have been detained at Julius Nyerere Airport, Dar es Salaam as we got here in for the observance of @TunduALissu’s case.
The journey was in solidarity with Tanzania attorneys and human rights defenders.
They haven’t given causes for the detention. pic.twitter.com/ad8UVtT4me
— husseinkhalid (@husskhalid) May 19, 2025
Mutunga and rights activist Hussein Khalid have been being held in an interrogation room at Julius Nyerere airport on Monday and have been anticipated to be deported, Khalid mentioned on X.
Karua mentioned final month that Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have been “collaborating” of their “complete erosion of democratic ideas” amid rising issues concerning democracy throughout East Africa.
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