Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has begun a hunger strike to protest what his party says is the denial of confidential access to his lawyers while he remains in prison awaiting judgment in a treason trial.
Lissu, chairman of the opposition party Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), began refusing food on Monday, October 26, after prison authorities allegedly prevented his lawyers from meeting him privately, party spokesperson Brenda Rupia said, according to Reuters.
The protest follows a High Court ruling on October 16 that, according to Lissu’s legal team, requires prison authorities to allow detainees to communicate confidentially with their lawyers. CHADEMA alleges that officials have continued to insist on arrangements in which prison officers can hear the conversations.
The party’s chief legal counsel, Rugemeleza Nshala, said Lissu had refused to meet his lawyers under conditions he considered inconsistent with the court order. He also warned that the opposition leader relies on medication and that stopping food or medication could put his health at risk.
Tanzania’s Prisons Service said it would provide an update, while the government had not immediately issued a detailed response to the latest allegations, Reuters reported.
Lissu was arrested on April 9, 2025, after addressing a rally calling for electoral reforms ahead of Tanzania’s general election. He was charged with treason the following day over remarks prosecutors said encouraged rebellion and disruption of the election.
He has pleaded not guilty and denies the accusation. His lawyer has described the case as politically motivated, while the charge carries a possible death sentence under Tanzanian law. The court is scheduled to deliver its judgment on November 6, 2026.
Lissu has been detained for more than 18 months. He previously survived a 2017 assassination attempt in which he was shot 16 times and spent periods in exile before returning to Tanzania in 2023. He also staged a hunger strike in May 2025 to protest being required to attend court remotely.
The case has drawn renewed attention to political freedoms and the treatment of opposition figures in Tanzania. CHADEMA was barred from participating in the October 2025 general election after failing to sign a required electoral code of conduct.
The election was followed by deadly protests and unrest. A government-appointed commission of inquiry reported that at least 518 people were killed in the violence. Opposition figures have cited a higher toll, but that estimate has not been independently verified by the United Nations.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government has rejected accusations of widespread human rights abuses and says it is committed to respecting human rights. Reports of alleged abductions of government critics have also prompted concern from rights advocates.
Lissu’s hunger strike places renewed focus on the implementation of court orders and the right of detained people to consult their legal representatives confidentially as his trial approaches its scheduled judgment.
Leave a comment