Tanzania Court Bans Live Broadcast of Tundu Lissu’s Treason Trial

The Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court of  Tanzania has banned the live broadcast of the treason proceedings against the Chairman of the opposition party, Chadema, Tundu Lissu, citing the need to protect the identities of the prosecution witnesses.

The court stated that any form of “live streaming, live broadcast, and other kinds of live distribution of content online to the public, including on social media or video broadcast” was to be prohibited. The magistrate further warned that any individual or media outlet that violated the order would face legal action. 

Tundu Lissu, a vocal critic of the Tanzanian government, has condemned the ruling of the court, describing it as an act of subterfuge, a means for the court to conduct the trial in “darkness”, obstruct justice and prevent his followers from following the proceedings of the case. The opposition leader has rejected the charges and even dismissed his legal team with the intention of defending himself.

Lissu was arrested in April 2025, detained and charged with treason and false publication. His ordeal comes amid the escalating tensions between Lissu’s party, Chadema and President Samia Suluhi Hassan ahead of the October presidential election.  Lissu had organised a nationwide campaign, popularly tagged “No Reforms, No Election”, which sought to demand electoral reforms. 

Chadema, which was banned from participating in the forthcoming presidential elections, has repeatedly accused Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) of bias in favour of the ruling party, which has dominated the political scene since 1964. The party cited the president’s authority to appoint NEC members and the CCM’s sweeping 98% victory in the 2024 local elections as evidence of institutional manipulation.

Lissu’s arrest once again puts President Hassan’s leadership in the spotlight over allegations of human rights violations and political intimidation. In 2024, the Tanzanian government received widespread condemnation over the deaths and abductions of opposition leaders. A planned protest in response to the brutal killing of a senior Chadema member, Mohamed Ali Kabo, was thwarted when President Hassan declared such demonstrations illegal. Mohamed Ali Kabo’s death ignited the desire for a judicial inquiry into the abductions of opposition leaders, with Freeman Mbowe, another opposition figure, alleging that over 200 people had gone missing.

This is not the first time Lissu has found himself in the thick of political persecution and oppression. In 2017, the firebrand politician narrowly survived an assassination attempt when his car was struck by 16 bullets. He later fled into exile, returning briefly in 2020 to contest the presidency against Magufuli before leaving again, citing electoral fraud. In 2023, Lissu returned to Tanzania following President Hassan’s political reforms, which were focused on fostering political openness—that critics argue have fallen short. 

The outcome of the treason trial will determine not only Lissu’s political future but also his very survival, as the charge carries the death penalty in Tanzania.