Tanzanian Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu Charged with Treason Ahead of Elections

The CHADEMA leader faces charges carrying the death penalty, marking a sharp escalation in government actions against opposition figures as electoral tensions rise.

• Tundu Lissu, chairman of Tanzania's main opposition party CHADEMA, was arrested during a rally in Mbinga and has been charged with treason and publishing false information.
• The treason charge, which carries the death penalty, is the most severe accusation Lissu has faced despite his history of arrests and political persecution.
• Authorities claim Lissu incited the public to block the upcoming October general elections while calling for electoral reforms during his rally.
• Human rights activists and CHADEMA accuse President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government of employing repressive tactics to suppress dissent and opposition ahead of the elections.
• Lissu, a survivor of a 2017 assassination attempt, has repeatedly advocated for an independent electoral commission and reforms to ensure free and fair elections in Tanzania.

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Al Jazeera