By Adonis Byemelwa
Amnesty International has made a bold call to the government of Tanzania: Release opposition leader Tundu Lissu immediately and unconditionally. The arrest of Lissu, a senior figure in the opposition party Chadema, has drawn sharp criticism from both local and international observers, further intensifying the spotlight on Tanzania’s shifting political climate.
Lissu was apprehended on a Wednesday in the southern town of Mbinga, Ruvuma region, shortly after attending a public rally alongside fellow Chadema members. What was meant to be a peaceful gathering turned into chaos when police stormed the event and dispersed citizens using tear gas. By Thursday, he was in court in Dar es Salaam, facing charges of treason—a charge that carries the death penalty under Tanzanian law.
The speed and severity of the legal response sparked alarm. In a strongly worded statement released Friday evening, Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, condemned the arrest as part of an ongoing pattern of repression targeting government critics. “We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Tundu Lissu,” he stated, warning that Tanzania is veering dangerously off course in its obligations to protect human rights.
Chagutah didn’t mince words. He spoke of a growing trend: enforced disappearances of government critics, excessive force used to silence dissent, and arbitrary arrests of opposition figures.
According to Amnesty, four outspoken government critics have disappeared under suspicious circumstances in recent times, with one confirmed extrajudicial killing in 2024. The pattern, Chagutah argued, reflects a deliberate campaign of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent and shrinking the democratic space.
It’s a troubling trajectory, especially for a country that once appeared to be on a path of reform. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who succeeded the late John Magufuli, was initially praised for rolling back some of her predecessor’s most repressive policies against the media and opposition parties.
Nonetheless, hopes for a new era of openness are fading fast. Human rights groups and Western governments now accuse her administration of sliding back into authoritarian tactics—reminiscent of the Magufuli era, only cloaked in more diplomatic language.
For Tanzanians on the ground, the impact is deeply personal. The arrest of Lissu, a seasoned lawyer and opposition stalwart who survived an assassination attempt in 2017, hits particularly hard.
It's not just about legal charges—it’s about what those charges represent: a state willing to criminalize dissent, no matter how peaceful or constitutionally protected.
In the diaspora, voices like that of political commentator Ansbert Ngurumo, now based in Finland, are raising alarm. Speaking through his YouTube channel, Ngurumo argued that the government is embarrassing itself on the international stage.
Drawing parallels to the case of Freeman Mbowe, the former Chadema chairman who was also charged with terrorism only to be later released, Ngurumo insisted that these arrests are more about optics and intimidation than justice.
“There’s nothing Lissu said during that rally that warrants a treason charge,” he argued. “This is a calculated humiliation of the opposition. And frankly, it’s becoming a national disgrace.”
Ngurumo also referenced the detention of Dr. Wilbrod Slaa, another former Chadema leader who eventually parted ways with the party. He sees a pattern in how political rivals are first tolerated, then vilified, and finally persecuted once they become too critical of the system. “How can a government keep repeating these shameful acts and expect the world to look away?” he asked.
Adding weight to the criticism, Boniface Mwabukusi, President of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), entered the fray with a scathing rebuke of the government’s interpretation of the law.
Responding to claims that Lissu might be barred from contesting in upcoming elections for not signing an ethics form, Mwabukusi dismissed the legal reasoning as absurd and questioned the legal training of those making such claims. In his view, the government’s approach is legally incoherent and politically motivated.
Taking a strong stand, TLS announced a suspension of all legal cooperation with the state until Tundu Lissu is released without conditions. In a public statement on April 12th, widely circulated on social media, the body of legal professionals condemned the arrest of their colleague as a violation not just of his rights but of the entire legal and political framework the country is supposed to uphold.
As Tanzania edges closer to a general election scheduled for October, the stakes are high. The government's clampdown on opposition figures and its aggressive policing of political gatherings raise serious questions about the credibility and fairness of the electoral process.
Chadema has already accused the government of using intimidation to suppress political competition—an accusation that becomes harder to dismiss with each new arrest.
What makes the situation even more unsettling is the eerie familiarity of it all. Political repression isn’t new in Tanzania, but it was hoped that those days were being left behind. Instead, they seem to be making a comeback—this time under a leader who once symbolized the possibility of change.
And that’s what makes the Lissu case so important. It’s not just about one man behind bars; it’s about the message being sent to every citizen, every activist, every would-be whistleblower: that speaking out could cost you your freedom—or worse. Unless the government of Tanzania changes course, the world will be watching as a once-promising democracy risks becoming just another cautionary tale.