Overview

• Tundu Lissu, leader of Tanzania's main opposition party CHADEMA, was arrested on April 9, 2025, and charged with treason the following day.
• The charges stem from Lissu's calls for electoral reform and allegations of government interference in the electoral process, including claims of police involvement in election rigging.
• Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned the arrest, calling it politically motivated and part of a larger campaign to suppress opposition voices.
• Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and has faced multiple arrests, is currently in custody awaiting arraignment on April 24, 2025.
• The government has faced criticism for escalating repression, including forced disappearances and killings of opposition figures, raising concerns about the state of democracy in Tanzania.