The United Kingdom formally protested the conviction of Tanzanian opposition leader and anti‑corruption activist Tundu Lissu on Tuesday, following a two‑month trial that ended with a four‑year prison sentence for incitement. Lissu was found guilty after being arrested on 9 April 2025 for calling on Tanzanians to boycott the October 2025 elections over concerns of electoral malpractice.
Minister for Africa and International Development Kirsty McNeill cited a report from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which concluded that Lissu’s detention was arbitrary and lacked a sufficient legal basis. She warned that the conviction contravened protections in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reminded Tanzania that it is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The UK urged Tanzanian authorities to honour commitments to reconciliation, pluralist democracy and the principles of a fair trial, due process and the rule of law.
Amnesty International condemned the verdict, describing it as the culmination of a deeply flawed process. Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Tigere Chagutah said the trial was “unjust from the moment of his arrest” and highlighted serious violations, including:
- Denial of confidential access to his lawyers
- Disconnection of live broadcasts while international observers were arrested and deported
- Inhumane detention conditions, with Lissu held in a death‑row cell and limited access to religious services
“The numerous irregularities in the trial are evidence of political persecution against a backdrop of repression and shrinking democratic space in Tanzania,” said Anna Henga, Vice‑President of the International Federation for Human Rights.
Lissu, 58, has filed a notice of appeal against the judgement delivered by a panel led by Judge Dunstan Ndunguru, with Judges James Karayemaha and Ferdinand Kiwonde. The global movement calls on the Tanzanian government to quash Lissu’s conviction, release him, end the crackdown on critics and respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
