The High Court of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Zone, has postponed the treason case against opposition leader Tundu Lissu to November 3, 2025, just days after Tanzania’s general election, raising fresh political tension over the timing.
The delay came after the prosecution failed to present a new witness. The adjournment follows the court’s rejection of key digital evidence, which disrupted the prosecution’s witness lineup.
During the court session presided over by a panel of three judges, Justice Dastan Ndunguru, Justice James Karayemaha, and Justice Ferdinand Kiwonde, State Attorney Renatus Mkude informed the court that three witnesses had already testified, with the last completing their testimony on October 23. However, due to the exclusion of certain exhibits, the remaining witnesses would no longer be called. The prosecution requested more time under Section 302 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) to reorganize its case.
Tundu Lissu, who has been in remand for over 200 days, opposed the adjournment, arguing that the reasons provided were legally insufficient and politically motivated. He claimed the delay was a tactic to keep him in custody until after the upcoming general elections. Lissu also requested bail under Section 302(2) of the CPA, asserting that he had no intention of fleeing and had never absconded from any legal proceedings.
In response, the prosecution maintained that the adjournment request was grounded in law and that the treason charge Lissu faces is non-bailable under Tanzanian law. State Attorneys Renatus Mkude and Nassoro Katuga emphasized that the absence of a witness justified the delay and that the court had the discretion to grant it.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court rejected Lissu’s bail application and granted the prosecution’s request to adjourn. Justice Ndunguru, delivering the ruling on behalf of the panel, noted that the case had consistently proceeded with witnesses and that the current delay was procedurally justified. He reiterated that the nature of the charge, treason, precluded the court from granting bail.
The case, which stems from remarks Lissu made during a press conference on April 3, 2025, at CHADEMA’s Kinondoni offices, will resume on November 3 at 9:00 a.m.
If convicted, Lissu faces the death penalty under Tanzanian law.
