The treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu resumed on Monday after a five-month pause, reviving a case that has drawn international attention over the country’s political climate. Lissu, chairman of the opposition Chadema party, has been in custody since April 2025 after being charged with treason, an offence that carries the death penalty in Tanzania.
Outside the Dar es Salaam courthouse, Lissu accused prosecutors of deliberately delaying proceedings to keep him behind bars, saying they wanted “to waste time so that I can continue to remain in remand custody.” The trial had been suspended since February while prosecutors appealed a ruling allowing additional evidence. Tanzania’s Court of Appeal dismissed that challenge last month, clearing the way for the case to move forward.
The trial comes after Tanzania weathered international criticism over its handling of protests around the October 2025 national polls, in which thousands were killed according to the opposition and rights activists. Lissu, whose party Chadema was disqualified from participating in last year’s elections, was detained in April 2025 and charged with treason. His party accuses President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who won the election with 98 percent of the vote, of a return to the repressive tactics of her predecessor, John Magufuli.
Lissu has now spent over 16 months in pre-trial detention on capital charges, with his case heard for a total of only 15 days. The pace has prompted pointed courtroom commentary from Lissu himself: “At this speed of 10 months for three witnesses, we will get to 2030 if you have not yet retired,” he told the three-judge panel in February, drawing laughter even from the bench.
Chadema party spokesperson Brenda Rupia described the resumption as a “critical moment” for Lissu’s freedom and for Tanzania’s democratic credibility: “This is a reflection of the country’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law and respect for political freedoms.” The party alleges the prosecution has been used as a tool to suppress legitimate opposition and weaken democratic participation.
Chadema’s deputy leader John Heche called for Lissu’s unconditional release, alleging that Tanzanian authorities had proposed releasing him on condition that he leave the country. Lissu, a lawyer representing himself, has previously said he is “not ready yet to die,” framing his courtroom fight as inseparable from his survival.
Tanzania’s democratic reputation, built on decades of peaceful governance under the East African Community’s most stable political system, is under pressure it has rarely faced. The next hearing date will determine how quickly a trial already measured in months rather than days can move toward conclusion.
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