Lissu, head of the opposition Chadema party, was detained in April 2025 and faces a possible death penalty if convicted of treason, for allegedly inciting the public to boycott last year’s elections.

The government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan cracked down heavily on opponents and critics ahead of the November vote, triggering some of the biggest protests ever seen in the country.

The authorities responded with brutal repression, killing thousands, according to rights groups and the opposition. The government says more than 500 people were killed, without saying who was responsible.

Lissu told the judges that they carried “not only the weight of convicting one person” but would set a precedent for the future of the east African country.

“My hope is that you will carry that heavy historical burden without bias, with courage and with the dignity carried by your judicial oaths,” he said.

Lissu had called for a boycott of the election, unless there were reforms to how they were conducted. He has insisted this does not amount to treason.

A date has not yet been set for the verdict.

Chadema was barred from competing in the election and Hassan won 98 percent of the vote.

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