Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu began a hunger strike on Monday, October 26, 2026, demanding that prison authorities allow him to meet his lawyers privately. His party, Chadema, announced the protest while he remains in detention awaiting the verdict in his treason trial.
First, Chadema said the High Court had ruled that Lissu’s constitutional right to confidential meetings with his lawyer had been violated. However, the party accused prison authorities of failing to comply with the court’s decision.
A trial under scrutiny
Meanwhile, Lissu remains in custody over treason charges, which carry the possibility of the death penalty under Tanzanian law. The verdict is expected on November 6, 2026.
A longtime critic of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, which has governed Tanzania since independence in 1961, Lissu was arrested in April 2025. Authorities accused him of inciting the public to boycott that year’s elections.
A long political struggle
Furthermore, the 58-year-old opposition leader survived an assassination attempt in 2017. He returned to Tanzania in 2023 after spending several years in exile.
His trial has drawn criticism from opposition figures and human rights organisations, some of whom describe the case as politically motivated. The authorities’ handling of his access to legal counsel has also become a central issue in the dispute.
Ultimately, Lissu’s hunger strike adds pressure to an already closely watched legal case. His demand for private consultations with his lawyers raises questions about the protection of legal rights during detention, as the country awaits the court’s verdict.
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