DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – In a dramatic turn in Tanzania’s most high-profile political trial in years, opposition leader Tundu Lissu told a packed courtroom on Monday that he will represent himself in his ongoing treason case, citing what he described as systematic obstruction of his legal defense.
The courtroom in Dar es Salaam was under heavy security as Mr. Lissu, 57, stood before the magistrate and declared that he had been held in near-total isolation for 68 days, denied meaningful access to his legal counsel since his April 2025 arrest.
He accused state prosecutors of orchestrating a campaign to suppress his defense, calling the proceedings a “political show trial dressed up as a legal process.”
“I will defend myself, because my right to a fair trial has already been denied,” Mr. Lissu said, raising his voice over murmurs in the courtroom gallery, where diplomats, journalists, and supporters were in attendance.
Mr. Lissu, a former member of Parliament and vice chairman of the opposition party Chadema, is facing charges of treason, a capital offense in Tanzania, along with publishing false information and incitement.
The charges stem from speeches and social media statements he made earlier this year criticizing the government’s handling of democratic reforms and alleging high-level corruption.
The prosecution alleges that Mr. Lissu’s remarks “undermined state authority and threatened national unity.”
His supporters, however, view the case as part of a broader crackdown on dissent under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, which has struggled to shake off the authoritarian legacy of her predecessor, the late President John Magufuli.
“By silencing Lissu, they hope to silence an entire movement,” said Martha Mwalimu, a civil rights lawyer observing the trial.
“But the way he is being treated raises serious questions about the independence of the judiciary.”
Mr. Lissu has long been a thorn in the side of the Tanzanian establishment. He survived an assassination attempt in 2017, which left him with multiple bullet wounds and sent him into exile in Belgium for nearly three years.
Since his return in 2023, he has been one of the most vocal critics of the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
Government officials have denied any political motivation behind the charges. In a brief statement on Monday, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said the trial “will proceed according to law and due process.”
The court adjourned after Mr. Lissu’s declaration and is expected to resume later this week to determine how the self-representation will be managed.
If convicted, Mr. Lissu faces a possible death sentence, though Tanzania has not carried out executions in recent decades.
Outside the courthouse, dozens of supporters gathered under the watchful eye of riot police, some holding signs reading “Justice for Lissu” and “Democracy on Trial.”
For many Tanzanians and observers abroad, the trial has become a litmus test for the country’s democratic trajectory ahead of general elections expected in October 2025.
“This is no longer about one man,” said Fatma Sanga, a university lecturer in political science. “It’s about the future of opposition politics in Tanzania.”
