Tanzania’s main opposition leader Tundu Lissu gestures at the magistrate’s court in Dar es Salaam on April 10, 2025. Tanzania’s main opposition leader Tundu Lissu was charged with treason on April 10, 2025 a day after being detained following a rally in the country’s south, one of his lawyers told AFP. The east African nation has increasingly cracked down on its opposition, with Lissu’s party Chadema accusing President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government of returning the country to the repressive tactics of her predecessor, John Magufuli. (Photo by ERICKY BONIPHACE / AFP)
Tanzania’s main opposition leader Tundu Lissu was charged with treason on Thursday, a day after being detained following a rally in the country’s south, one of his lawyers said.
The arrest of the chairman of the Chadema party came as critics accuse President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government of cracking down on the opposition ahead of October’s general election.
“Lissu has been charged with treason, which has no bail,” attorney Jebra Kambole said.
It is not the first time Lissu has been detained by authorities. But it was the first time he has been hit with such a serious charge.
Police earlier said he had been questioned about allegations of inciting the population to block the elections.
Lissu and other party members were detained after attending a rally in Mbinga, a town in the southern Ruvuma region, with Chadema saying officers fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.
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