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Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Leader of Tanzania's main opposition party could face death penalty
The security at the court building was extraordinary: a rooftop sniper, police with dogs and tear-gas launchers, vans with darkened windows, and a small army of black-masked guards with armoured jackets and submachine guns. But the defendant in the courtroom is not a dangerous terrorist. He is a politician, a leader of Tanzania's main opposition party who faces a highly organized operation to prevent him from running in this year's election. Tundu Lissu, chairman of the Chadema party, is on trial for treason − a charge that carries the death penalty. His prosecution, protested by human-rights groups around the world, exposes the sharp decline of democracy in a country that Western donors have long favoured with billions of dollars in aid. Mr. Lissu has endured countless arrests and attacks over the past decade. In 2017, gunmen with assault rifles sprayed dozens of bullets at his vehicle, nearly killing him. After three years in exile and a long recovery in hospital from 16 bullet wounds, he returned fearlessly to politics, contesting Tanzania's 2020 election as an opposition candidate and finishing second in official results. This year, Tanzania's authoritarian government seems determined to prevent him from running again. His party has been banned from the October election after authorities accused it of failing to accept an electoral code of conduct. Many of its top officials, along with other activists, have been arrested or harassed in recent weeks. And now, Mr. Lissu faces a potential death sentence. He was arrested in April after he called for reforms in Tanzania's electoral system. 'This is not a normal trial,' the 57-year-old politician told the judge at his latest hearing on Monday. 'I have not been sentenced, yet I am held in the death-row block. I am watched night and day. I cannot speak to my lawyers in private. Not a single private conversation has been allowed.' From 2020: Gunshots and tear gas fail to deter Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu He described how two guards keep him under constant watch, day and night. He is even barred from joining other detainees in the prison's exercise yard. Instead, he is required to walk alone in a dirty drainage-ditch area. Because his conversations with his lawyers are closely monitored, Mr. Lissu told the court that it is impossible for him to discuss strategy with them and he will be obliged to defend himself without any lawyers. Wearing a shirt emblazoned with the opposition slogan – 'No reforms, no election' – he smiled and flashed a victory sign at local reporters. Outside the court, his supporters chanted his name and waved placards demanding justice, but their voices were nearly drowned out by police sirens. Most of his supporters were denied permission to enter the crowded courtroom. A senior Tanzanian official told The Globe and Mail that the government's goal is to keep Mr. Lissu in prison until after the October election, to prevent him from running. After the vote, he will be quietly released, the official said. The Globe is not identifying the official because he could face retribution from the authorities for speaking out. Tanzania has been governed by a single party since its independence in 1961. The ruling party, today known as Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, the Revolutionary Party), has dominated all aspects of Tanzanian life and rarely tolerates much dissent. Its opponents have accused it of rigging recent elections to deliver huge majorities to CCM. Freedom House, a U.S.-based democracy and rights group, recently announced that it had downgraded Tanzania's status from 'partly free' to 'not free' because of the government's repressive measures. Despite this, Tanzania has remained a Western aid darling, and one of the largest recipients of Canadian foreign aid. Canada has provided $3.4-billion in international assistance to Tanzania since its independence, including $141-million in 2023-24, according to data from Global Affairs Canada. As the election approaches, a growing number of opposition politicians and activists have been kidnapped in what amount to 'enforced disappearances,' according to a report by United Nations human-rights experts. They described it as 'a flagrant tactic to suppress dissent.' In one of the most shocking cases, two activists from Kenya and Uganda who tried to attend Mr. Lissu's treason trial were arrested and disappeared for days. They were later dumped in remote border towns. Both gave detailed accounts of how they were tortured and sexually assaulted by Tanzanian security agents. Even churches have fallen victim to the crackdown. This month, authorities ordered the shutdown of a prominent church and arrested a dozen of its worshippers after its bishop criticized the disappearance of opposition activists. The bishop, Josephat Gwajima, is an outspoken MP who has complained of 'creeping authoritarianism' in the country. Witnesses described how police raided the church, even arresting a disabled woman in a wheelchair, dragging her away and throwing her into a police vehicle. Mr. Gwajima has fled into hiding, leaving a prerecorded sermon in which he says: 'They can shut down the church, but they cannot shut down the people's spirit.' Last Sunday, hundreds of his followers held a defiant outdoor service. 'We are not criminals,' said Rehema Moses, a long-time congregant. 'We are citizens exercising our right to believe.'
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Tanzanian Opposition Leader to Represent Himself in Treason Trial
The main opposition leader in Tanzania was granted permission on Monday to represent himself in his treason trial after being denied the right to meet his lawyers in private by prison authorities. Tundu Lissu was arrested on April 9 and charged with treason after addressing a public rally calling for electoral reforms ahead of planned general elections in October. Lissu's Chadema party has been critical of the absence of an independent electoral commission and laws that favor the ruling CCM party, which has been in power since Tanzania's independence in 1961. Lissu survived an assassination attempt after being shot 16 times in 2017, three years before the last election. The opposition leader told the court on Monday that he was being forced to speak to his lawyers through a phone in a small room and was worried that anyone could be listening to or recording the conversations. 'I have more than 30 lawyers who I trust very much. Today is the 68th day since I was arraigned and charged with treason, but my lawyers have been repeatedly denied the right to see me in private,' Lissu said. The chief magistrate at the Kisutu court in Dar es Salaam, Franco Kiswaga, said Lissu would be allowed to engage directly with the prosecution unless he later decides otherwise. He urged the prosecution to speed up investigations and set a hearing date for July 1. Lissu also protested what he called a denial of basic rights, including the right to worship. He said he was being held in a section of the prison designated for inmates sentenced to death, even though he has not been convicted. Human rights activists have accused Tanzania's government, led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, of heavy-handed tactics against the opposition. The government denies the claims.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Tanzanian opposition leader to represent himself in treason trial
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) — The main opposition leader in Tanzania was granted permission on Monday to represent himself in his treason trial after being denied the right to meet his lawyers in private by prison authorities. Tundu Lissu was arrested on April 9 and charged with treason after addressing a public rally calling for electoral reforms ahead of planned general elections in October. Lissu's Chadema party has been critical of the absence of an independent electoral commission and laws that favor the ruling CCM party, which has been in power since Tanzania's independence in 1961. Lissu survived an assassination attempt after being shot 16 times in 2017, three years before the last election. The opposition leader told the court on Monday that he was being forced to speak to his lawyers through a phone in a small room and was worried that anyone could be listening or recording the conversations. 'I have more than 30 lawyers who I trust very much. Today is the 68th day since I was arraigned and charged with treason, but my lawyers have been repeatedly denied the right to see me in private,' Lissu said. The chief magistrate at the Kisutu court in Dar es Salaam, Franco Kiswaga, said Lissu would be allowed to engage directly with the prosecution unless he later decides otherwise. He urged the prosecution to speed up investigations and set a hearing date for July 1. Lissu also protested what he called a denial of basic rights including the right to worship. He said he was being held in a section of the prison designated for inmates sentenced to death, even though he has not been convicted. Human rights activists have accused Tanzania's government, led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, of heavy-handed tactics against the opposition. The government denies the claims.
News24
10-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
Tanzania's crackdown on activists tests East African bonds
An unusual request from the Kenyan president caused a stir at the end of May. 'To our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us,' William Ruto told a delegation of Tanzanian MPs at a national prayer breakfast. Some Kenyans found the gesture appropriate, but others found it outrageous. Less than a week prior, prominent Kenyan photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi had returned to Kenya visibly weakened after five days in a Tanzanian prison. He and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire had travelled to Tanzania to support imprisoned opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is on trial on charges of treason. Lissu and his Party for Democracy and Development (Chadema), the country's largest opposition party, had called for the Tanzanian constitution to be reformed ahead of elections in October. 'Treated worse than dogs' Early this week, Mwangi and Atuhaire made serious accusations at a press conference. They described how they were arrested in their hotel and later brutally tortured and raped. Mwangi also described numerous details in a lengthy post on the social media platform X. We were treated worse than dogs. Boniface Mwangi Tanzanian government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa confirmed that Mwangi and Atuhaire were expelled from the country, but denied all other accusations. 'Do they have proof of these atrocities? They cannot just tarnish the country with allegations for which they have no evidence. They have invaded the country and violated law and order,' he said. 'Nobody should come here and try to impose their country's political culture on Tanzania.' Fear of protests amid economic uncertainty For Kenyan economist James Shikwati, the motive for the Tanzanian government's actions is clear: 'What's happening is the fear of what neighbouring countries saw happen in Kenya in June last year when the young people demonstrated and were able to go all the way to parliament,' said Shikwati, who heads the think tank Inter Region Economic Network. Ericky Boniphace/AFP The demonstrations, often referred to as 'Gen-Z protests', were a reaction by young Kenyans to a bill that would have increased taxes. 'I think it made our neighbours have very sensitive skin about anybody who shows capability of mobilising people,' Shikwati told DW, adding that these tensions are taking place in the context of economic difficulties. 'It's income, jobs, opportunities shrinking, the global dynamics changing, militarisation of global economy, meaning the normal trade patterns are getting disrupted and the little income these countries were making is disappearing overnight,' he said. Meanwhile, international NGOs are withdrawing, USAID cuts initiated by US President Donald Trump are hitting East Africa hard, and the entire region is feeling the economic losses for export giant Kenya, Shikwati added. 'Human rights have no borders' What does the heated atmosphere mean for the East African Community, founded in 2000 by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania? Citizens have been allowed to travel freely between the member states since the 1960s, and many take advantage of this to work or study in these neighbouring countries. But now there is a growing fear, especially among Kenyans, of traveling to Tanzania. Tony Karumba/AFP In fact, other human rights activists who wanted to support Tundu Lissu were also prevented from entering the country - including Kenya's former justice minister and lawyer Martha Karua. She is also in contact with Uganda's imprisoned opposition politician Kizza Besigye and successfully campaigned for improving his conditions. 'Human rights have no borders,' she told DW about both cases. Leaders likely to maintain status quo? Shikwati does not expect any major upsets at government level. For him, Ruto's statements at the prayer breakfast sent a clear message. 'They feel that something is not okay and most likely are trying to coordinate on this because you could see the Kenyan government trying to distance itself and say: 'Look, we're not part of the activists, so forgive us if something went wrong.'' Tony Karumba/AFP Shikwati also said that the tensions show how previous ideas of the economic community failed to reflect reality. While East Africa has relied on good cooperation between governments, it had not been considered that political opposition could also use the community to advance its own goals, he added. Despite support from neighbouring countries, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is facing strong domestic headwinds. Ideas about what Tanzania's 'political culture' should be sometimes differ greatly from government actions. The well-known bishop of a revivalist church, Josephat Gwajima, himself a member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, said at the end of May: 'I want to tell you the truth: Kidnapping is not our Tanzanian culture.' People should only be arrested on the basis of the law, he said. Gwajima's church was closed last Monday. The Registrar of Civil Societies in Tanzania said that the church had broken the law by preaching in a way that turned citizens against the government.
DW
07-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Tanzania's crackdown on activists tests East African bonds – DW – 06/07/2025
Opposition activists from Kenya allege that they were detained and tortured in neighboring Tanzania. Leaders there don't seem to like that cross-border economic cooperation has extended to human rights solidarity. An unusual request from the Kenyan president caused a stir at the end of May. "To our neighbors from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us," William Ruto told a delegation of Tanzanian MPs at a national prayer breakfast. Some Kenyans found the gesture appropriate, but others found it outrageous. Less than a week prior, prominent Kenyan photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi had returned to Kenya visibly weakened after five days in a Tanzanian prison. He and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire had traveled to Tanzania to support imprisoned opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is on trial on charges of treason. Lissu and his Party for Democracy and Development (Chadema), the country's largest opposition party, had called for the Tanzanian constitution to be reformed ahead of elections in October. 'Treated worse than dogs' Early this week, Mwangi and Atuhaire made serious accusations at a press conference. They described how they were arrested in their hotel and later brutally tortured and raped. Mwangi also described numerous details in a lengthy post on the social media platform X. "We were treated worse than dogs," Mwangi said after returning to Nairobi. Tanzanian government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa confirmed that Mwangi and Atuhaire were expelled from the country, but denied all other accusations. "Do they have proof of these atrocities? They cannot just tarnish the country with allegations for which they have no evidence. They have invaded the country and violated law and order," he said. "Nobody should come here and try to impose their country's political culture on Tanzania." Fear of protests amid economic uncertainty For Kenyan economist James Shikwati, the motive for the Tanzanian government's actions is clear: "What's happening is the fear of what neighboring countries saw happen in Kenya in June last year when the young people demonstrated and were able to go all the way to parliament," said Shikwati, who heads the think tank Inter Region Economic Network. The demonstrations, often referred to as "Gen-Z protests," were a reaction by young Kenyans to a bill that would have increased taxes. "I think it made our neighbors have very sensitive skin about anybody who shows capability of mobilizing people," Shikwati told DW, adding that these tensions are taking place in the context of economic difficulties. Tanzania's intolerance of transnational activism To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "It's income, jobs, opportunities shrinking, the global dynamics changing, militarization of global economy, meaning the normal trade patterns are getting disrupted and the little income these countries were making is disappearing overnight," he said. Meanwhile, international NGOs are withdrawing, USAID cuts initiated by US President Donald Trump are hitting East Africa hard, and the entire region is feeling the economic losses for export giant Kenya, Shikwati added. 'Human rights have no borders' What does the heated atmosphere mean for the East African Community, founded in 2000 by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania? Citizens have been allowed to travel freely between the member states since the 1960s, and many take advantage of this to work or study in these neighboring countries. But now there is a growing fear, especially among Kenyans, of traveling to Tanzania. In fact, other human rights activists who wanted to support Tundu Lissu were also prevented from entering the country — including Kenya's former justice minister and lawyer Martha Karua. She is also in contact with Uganda's imprisoned opposition politician Kizza Besigye and successfully campaigned for improving his conditions. "Human rights have no borders," she told DW about both cases. Leaders likely to maintain status quo? Shikwati does not expect any major upsets at government level. For him, Ruto's statements at the prayer breakfast sent a clear message. "They feel that something is not OK and most likely are trying to coordinate on this because you could see the Kenyan government trying to distance itself and say, 'Look, we're not part of the activists, so forgive us if something went wrong'." Shikwati also said that the tensions show how previous ideas of the economic community failed to reflect reality. While East Africa has relied on good cooperation between governments, it had not been considered that political opposition could also use the community to advance its own goals, he added. Despite support from neighboring countries, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is facing strong domestic headwinds. Ideas about what Tanzania's "political culture" should be sometimes differ greatly from government actions. The well-known bishop of a revivalist church, Josephat Gwajima, himself a member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, said at the end of May: "I want to tell you the truth: kidnapping is not our Tanzanian culture." People should only be arrested on the basis of the law, he said. Gwajima's church was closed last Monday. The Registrar of Civil Societies in Tanzania said that the church had broken the law by preaching in a way that turned citizens against the government. Their bishop is now missing. With reporting by Thelma Mwadzaya (Nairobi), Florence Majani
