Tundu Lissu, Tanzania’s main opposition leader and vice-chair of the Chadema party, will remain in remand for an additional 14 days as police and state prosecutors request more time to complete investigations into treason charges against him. The Kisutu Magistrates Court in Dar es Salaam granted the extension until June 2, marking the first in-person court appearance by Lissu since his arrest on April 9, 2025. Previous hearings were attended virtually.
Lissu was detained after calling for electoral reforms ahead of Tanzania’s upcoming October general elections, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan seeks her first full term after completing the late John Magufuli’s tenure. Treason is a non-bailable offense in Tanzania, keeping Lissu in custody since his arrest. His legal team, led by Senior Counsel Mpale Mpoki, objected to the continued remand, arguing that the delay infringes on Lissu’s constitutional rights and that all necessary evidence was already publicly available. They also criticized what they called excessive police surveillance during court proceedings, stressing that Lissu poses no flight risk or threat.
Chadema has consistently raised alarms over harassment and arbitrary arrests of opposition members ahead of the vote. Human rights groups have echoed those concerns, accusing the government of intimidating political opponents, a charge the state denies. Lissu, a fierce critic of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, survived a 2017 assassination attempt in which he was shot 16 times. He has since become a symbol of resistance and reform in Tanzania’s political landscape.
The latest developments are fueling growing domestic and international scrutiny of Tanzania’s political climate ahead of elections that are expected to test the country’s democratic trajectory.
