Tanzania’s opposition leader and CHADEMA Chairman Tundu Lissu has spoken out from prison, saying he is being kept in total isolation and humiliated under harsh detention conditions.

In a statement posted on his official X account on October 26, Lissu said his prison cell has been fitted with CCTV cameras that record all his movements, even during private moments. He said the cameras, along with his isolation from other inmates, are meant to degrade his dignity rather than ensure security.

“My cell is now fitted with CCTV cameras that record everything I do — even when I use the toilet or change clothes. I have no privacy at all. This is not a matter of security; it is a deliberate act meant to humiliate my human dignity,” Lissu said.

He described the treatment as a violation of the UN’s Mandela Rules and Articles 12 and 13 of Tanzania’s Constitution, which protect human dignity and prohibit cruel or degrading punishment.

Lissu has been in remand for over 200 days, facing treason charges, with his case adjourned to November 3, just days after the October 29 general election. His statement comes amid growing reports of abductions and disappearances of opposition members and activists across the country, which rights groups say reflect a pattern of political repression.

Meanwhile, CCM presidential candidate and incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan is concluding her 2025 election campaign in Mwanza, where she is set to address a final rally at CCM Kirumba grounds on October 28.