Tension and drama marked another day in the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader and CHADEMA chairman, Tundu Lissu, as the High Court in Dar es Salaam resumed proceedings on Monday morning. The hearing began under tight security after police earlier clashed with crowds outside the court, dispersing supporters and reportedly arresting several, including CHADEMA Youth Wing (BAVICHA) chair and lawyer, Deogratias Mahinyila.
Inside the courtroom, Lissu continued to challenged the validity of the charges against him. He argued that the charge sheet filed against him does not show any offense recognized under Tanzanian law. According to the indictment, he is accused of intending to incite citizens to block the 2025 general election, but Lissu told the three-judge panel that such an allegation does not fall under treason as defined in the Penal Code. “This charge sheet does not disclose a crime. If it does not disclose treason, then it is legally defective and must be struck out,” he said.
Lissu pointed out discrepancies between the indictment he was read in April and another document he received in August, saying the differences show the prosecution has unlawfully amended the case file. He also questioned the interpretation of phrases attributed to him such as “tutahamasisha uhasi” and “tutakinukisha sawa sawa.” Referring to the official Kiswahili dictionary, he argued that such words cannot be stretched to mean treason. “My words alone cannot amount to treason. In law, treason requires overt acts, not mere speech,” he added.
He reminded the court that this is only the third treason case in Tanzania’s history, citing the 1971 trial linked to Bibi Titi Mohamed and the 1983 Khatibu Ghandi case, where judges stressed that treason requires concrete actions, not words.
Proceedings were briefly tense when Lissu protested late delivery of court documents, saying he received them only minutes before the hearing. He warned the prosecution against treating the case lightly. He also renewed his request for live broadcast of the trial, a decision the judges said will be delivered Tuesday.
Meanwhile, CHADEMA condemned the police for attacking and detaining its youth leader Mahinyila outside the court. In a statement signed by the party’s Director of Communication, Brenda Rupia, CHADEMA said, “Any assault on lawyers or citizens within court premises is an attack on justice itself.” The party demanded his immediate release along with eight other members reportedly injured or detained.
CHADEMA Vice Chair John Heche also criticized the repeated adjournments and lengthy detention, noting that Lissu has now spent more than 140 days in custody. “If this can happen to the leader of the opposition, imagine what ordinary villagers face,” he said.
The court adjourned the hearing to Tuesday September 16th, when Lissu will continue presenting his objection to the charge sheet.
