Key facts
- A three-judge High Court panel in Dar es Salaam acquitted Lissu of treason and convicted him of incitement.
- Lissu, chairperson of CHADEMA, was arrested in April 2025 and had pleaded not guilty.
- Prosecutors said Lissu told supporters the opposition would block the election and mobilise rebellion.
- A commission appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan said at least 518 people were killed in the post-election violence.
A three-judge panel of Tanzania's High Court in Dar es Salaam acquitted opposition leader Tundu Lissu of treason on November 6, 2026, and convicted him of the lesser charge of incitement, Reuters reported.
Lissu, chairperson of the main opposition party CHADEMA, was arrested in April 2025 and charged with treason over a speech prosecutors said told supporters the opposition would "block the election" and "mobilise rebellion". He pleaded not guilty, arguing his speech did not violate any law and that the charges were politically motivated.
His arrest, along with alleged abductions of government critics and CHADEMA's disqualification from the vote, was a key driver of protests during the October 2025 elections. Hundreds died as police opened fire on protesters in multiple cities.
A commission appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan said in April that at least 518 people were killed in the violence, which it blamed on the protesters. Her government denied allegations by human rights groups that the security services used excessive force.