Tundu Lissu, the prominent Tanzanian opposition figure, made his first courtroom appearance on Monday May 19, 2025 since his recent detention on charges that include treason. Addressing his supporters, Lissu urged calm and resilience in the face of the ongoing trial.
He had previously declined to participate in the April 24 proceedings, objecting to the authorities’ decision to hold the session virtually. Lissu appeared at that hearing via video link from prison, which he criticized as inappropriate.
On Monday, the CHADEMA leader entered the courtroom with his fist raised in defiance, as supporters echoed the chant, “No reforms, No election,” a moment captured in a video posted by his party on X.
“We will be fine. You should not fear,” Lissu told those gathered, flashing the victory sign from the dock.
Lissu, who survived a 2017 assassination attempt in which he was shot 16 times, finished second in the last presidential election. He now faces treason charges stemming from a speech prosecutors allege incited the public to rebel and obstruct the upcoming October elections.
His arrest is the latest in a series of detentions that have drawn attention to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s human rights record. The president, who intends to seek another term, has maintained that her administration is dedicated to upholding civil liberties.
CHADEMA continues to press for comprehensive reforms to the electoral process, arguing that the current framework disproportionately benefits the ruling party. They have insisted on these changes as a precondition for participating in the next vote.
Meanwhile, several high-profile Kenyan activists seeking to observe the trial were blocked from entering Tanzania.
Among them were Martha Karua, Kenya’s former justice minister and a well-known lawyer and opposition leader, and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. The two said on X that they were held upon arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzanian immigration authorities have not commented publicly on the incident.
“Today was going to be a big day and we went out there in solidarity,” Karua told NTV Kenya after being turned back to Nairobi.
“The state cannot be used as a personal tool. You cannot deport people whom you don’t like, who are not aligned to your views.”
Mutunga and activist Hussein Khalid were reportedly held in an interrogation room at the airport and were expected to be deported, Khalid shared on X.
