Tundu Lissu, the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition party, was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for incitement to unrest after being cleared of treason.
While the verdict removed the threat of a death sentence, judges convicted Lissu of an offense that was not among the charges he faced.
What did the court decide?
Judges found that Chadema leader Lissu’s statements about blocking the election were intended to disrupt the vote and encourage violence.
“We are satisfied that through his statements, the accused intended to disrupt elections and instigate violence,” the judge said.
Lissu disputed his conviction on a charge different from the treason accusation he had faced.
“I was not charged with incitement but you judges are convicting me with it just to impress the person who gives you the titles,” he said, apparently referring to President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Lissu was arrested in April 2025 over a speech in which prosecutors said he told supporters the opposition would “block the election” and “mobilize rebellion.” He pleaded not guilty, arguing that his speech broke no law and that the prosecution was politically motivated.ย Lissuย has already spent 19 months in jail.
“All this was political persecution. Excuses were created to imprison me,” heย told the court after the verdict.
How did the case fuel Tanzania’s unrest?
Lissu’s arrest, alleged abductions of government critics, and Chadema’s exclusion from the October 2025 election helped drive protests across the country.
Hundreds died as police opened fire on protesters in several cities. Opposition figures and rights groups put the toll in the thousands.
A commission appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan reported in April that at least 518 people had been killed and blamed protesters for the violence. The government denied allegations that security forces used excessive force.
Security was tightened in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, and around the courthouse ahead of Friday’s verdict.
Why has the trial drawn international criticism?
British and European Union lawmakers described the case as politically motivated and called for Lissu’s immediate release.
“The use of capital punishment against a political opponent risks turning the justice system into an instrument of political repression,” they wrote to Hassan.
Lissu, 58, has been repeatedly arrested for opposing the government. In 2017, he survived an assassination attempt in which he was shot 16 times. He believes the attack was politically motivated.