TANZANIA’S political temperature is rising sharply as the country prepares for its October general elections, with opposition leader Tundu Lissu due to appear in court on treason charges this week. The case has triggered widespread concern among rights groups and heightened fears of an increasingly repressive environment under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.
Lissu, head of the main opposition party Chadema, was arrested on April 9 following a rally in Mbinga, southern Tanzania. He was swiftly transported over 1,000 kilometres to the capital, Dar es Salaam, where he is set to stand trial at Kisutu Magistrates’ Court on April 24.
Police accuse Lissu of publishing false information and committing treason, offences that could carry the death penalty under Tanzanian law. The charges stem from a social media post in which he reportedly called for a boycott of the upcoming elections, citing fears of rigging and a compromised electoral system.
Chadema barred from 2025 race
The crackdown on Lissu coincided with a broader blow to Tanzania’s opposition movement: Chadema has been officially disqualified from participating in the October 2025 election. The country’s electoral body said the party was barred after it failed to sign the 2025 Election Code of Ethics.
Chadema maintains it refused to sign due to the electoral commission’s failure to address its proposed reforms and concerns over transparency. The party said it was denied a written response to its submissions.
John Heche, Chadema’s vice-president, described the charges against Lissu as ‘trumped-up’ and called on party supporters to assemble peacefully outside the court on Thursday in a show of solidarity.
Rights groups condemn growing crackdown
Human rights organisations have reacted with alarm to Lissu’s arrest and Chadema’s exclusion. Amnesty International issued a statement demanding his immediate and unconditional release, calling the charges part of a wider campaign of repression.
‘Lissu’s arrest occurs in a context of growing repression against opposition leaders ahead of Tanzania’s general elections,’ Amnesty said. It reported that four government critics were forcibly disappeared and one unlawfully killed in 2024 alone.
The organisation also accused Tanzanian police of using excessive force during Lissu’s arrest, including firing live rounds into the air and deploying teargas to disperse supporters.
Human Rights Watch echoed those concerns, warning that the ongoing clampdown casts a shadow over the credibility of the upcoming polls. ‘The government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan has previously repressed the political opposition and critical voices,’ the group said.
Police issue protest warning, civil society sees ‘foregone conclusion’
Tanzanian police have warned that any attempts to mobilise support for Lissu’s court appearance would be treated as incitement. ‘Anyone found planning or attempting to act on such incitement will be liable to strict legal action,’ police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Despite the risks, Chadema insists it will not abandon the political battlefield. Lissu, a former presidential candidate and longtime critic of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, has previously survived an assassination attempt and years in exile.
Meanwhile, civil society voices have raised the alarm. The US-based NGO Vanguard Africa said Tanzania is heading toward an election with a ‘foregone conclusion’.
‘Tanzanians regularly voice frustration with elections that do not meaningfully allow citizens to hold political elites accountable. No one seems to be listening,’ it wrote on social media.
As the April 24 trial approaches, the eyes of the region—and the wider international community—will be on Dar es Salaam, watching whether Tanzania steers toward dialogue or deeper division.
