A court in Dar es Salaam has barred the media from live broadcasting the treason trial of Tanzania’s main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, citing the need to protect witnesses.
During preliminary proceedings at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Principal Resident Magistrate Franco Kiswaga ruled that live streaming and real-time sharing of court content, including on social media, were prohibited.
Lissu, leader of the opposition party CHADEMA, was arrested in April after prosecutors accused him of urging citizens to disrupt the presidential and legislative elections set for October. If convicted of treason, he could face the death penalty.
Reacting to the ruling, Lissu condemned the decision to restrict public access, warning that it would allow proceedings to be conducted “in darkness.” “Justice must be done and be seen to be done,” he said.
CHADEMA has already been barred from contesting the upcoming elections after challenging an electoral framework it claims favours the ruling party.
Lissu, 57, survived an assassination attempt in 2017 when he was shot 16 times. He later ran for president in 2020, finishing second.
The case comes amid growing scrutiny of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s human rights record. Reports of opposition crackdowns, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances have drawn international concern.
A 2024 U.S. State Department report said Tanzania had recorded widespread rights abuses, including unlawful killings, torture, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression and media.
