Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, has confirmed that its detained leader, Tundu Lissu, has been transferred to Ukonga Prison in Dar es Salaam, following days of uncertainty about his whereabouts.
CHADEMA spokesperson Brenda Rupia announced on Saturday that party leaders met with Tanzania Prisons Service officials who confirmed the transfer.
However, the party said it has not been given any explanation for the move.
Lissu, a prominent critic of the government and runner-up in the 2020 presidential election, was arrested on April 10 and later charged with treason.
Prosecutors allege that a recent speech by Lissu called for public rebellion and disruption of the upcoming October elections. He was not allowed to plead to the charge in court.
On Friday, CHADEMA raised alarm after being denied access to Lissu at the jail where he was initially held. His lawyers and family members also reported being turned away, prompting fears over his safety and well-being.
The treason charges and the party’s disqualification from the upcoming polls over refusal to sign a code of conduct have drawn renewed international scrutiny of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s human rights record.
Though initially praised for easing political repression after taking office in 2021, Hassan now faces criticism over rising political arrests and a shrinking democratic space.
Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa declined to comment on Lissu’s case, saying it falls under the jurisdiction of the relevant legal authorities.
Tanzania Prisons Service officials have yet to provide a public statement.
