Tanzania court sentences opposition leader Tundu Lissu to four years for incitement

A High Court in Dar es Salaam convicted the Chadema leader of incitement and acquitted him of treason, which carries the death penalty.

• The three-judge panel sentenced Lissu to four years on Friday and granted him leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal.
• The judge said Lissu's statements were intended to disrupt elections and instigate violence.
• Lissu told the court the trial was "political persecution" and that the judges were following government directives.
• Lissu, held since April 2025, was arrested after campaigning for electoral reforms ahead of the October 2025 election.