Tundu Lissu, the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, made a bold courtroom appearance on May 19, facing treason charges that could carry the death penalty. Arrested in April after calling for electoral reforms, Lissu insisted on an in-person trial after he was forced to make a virtual appearance for an earlier hearing. Entering the courtroom with a raised fist and wearing a “No Reforms, No Election” T-shirt, he galvanized supporters, who echoed his demands for reform. The trial has drawn regional attention, especially after Kenyan figures like Martha Karua and Willy Mutunga were detained and deported while attempting to show solidarity by attending the trial. As President Samia Suluhu Hassan seeks re-election, critics argue that the crackdown on opposition voices signals a troubling erosion of democratic freedoms in Tanzania.
Aljazeera
