Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu plans to launch a hunger strike in prison to protest ongoing restrictions preventing him from having confidential consultations with his legal team.
The impending protest comes just ahead of a crucial November 6 judgment in his high-profile treason trial, which carries a potential death sentence upon conviction.
Lissu’s lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, revealed the planned strike following a prison visit, noting that he had cautioned the opposition leader about the severe health risks given that Lissu is currently on medication. Despite the warnings, Nshala quoted Lissu as saying, “I am ready to face the consequences, but I will fight for the rule of law.”
The standoff follows an October 16 High Court ruling confirming that prison officers at Ukonga Prison unlawfully eavesdropped on meetings between Lissu and his lawyers.
While the court ordered authorities to respect attorney-client confidentiality—permitting only visual security oversight—Nshala alleges that prison officials continue to obstruct and outright deny legal consultations.
The legal proceedings stem from Lissu’s outspoken demands for electoral reforms ahead of Tanzania’s October 2025 general election. Arrested on April 9, 2025, after addressing a political rally, prosecutors accused him of publishing online material intended to derail the polls—charges the opposition figure firmly denies.
Lissu’s prosecution unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying human rights violations under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.
Civil society and international monitors have heavily criticized the government’s crackdown on political opposition, which saw widespread deadly violence and hundreds of reported fatalities during the 2025 election period.
As the November 6 verdict approaches, international observers remain deeply concerned over both Lissu’s personal safety and the broader state of democratic freedoms in Tanzania.
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