The CHADEMA leader is protesting restrictions on confidential meetings with his legal team as he awaits a verdict in his treason trial.

Dodoma, Tanzania – Running Africa: Jailed Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has begun a hunger strike to protest restrictions on access to his lawyers, his CHADEMA party said, as he awaits a verdict in his treason trial.

Why Tundu Lissu began a hunger strike

Lissu began refusing food on Monday after prison authorities denied access to members of his legal team, according to CHADEMA spokesperson Brenda Rupia.

His lawyers say the restrictions violate a recent High Court order protecting their right to hold confidential consultations with him.

Lissu’s lawyer has warned about the potential impact of the hunger strike on his health, saying the opposition leader relies on medication and has been advised of the risks.

The treason case against Lissu

Lissu has been detained since April 2025. He was charged with treason over allegations that he used public statements and online material to encourage rebellion and disrupt Tanzania’s 2025 general election.

He denies the allegations. His lawyers have described the case as politically motivated.

The High Court is scheduled to deliver its judgment on Nov. 6. A conviction on the treason charge could carry the death penalty.

Years of pressure on Tanzania’s opposition leader

Lissu, who leads Tanzania’s main opposition party, has faced years of political and legal pressure. He survived an assassination attempt in 2017 in which he was shot 16 times.

His detention and the broader treatment of opposition figures have continued to draw scrutiny over political freedoms and human rights in Tanzania.