TANZANIA: OPPOSITION PARTY CHAIR MUST BE RELEASED

Dear President Hassan,

I am writing to express grave concern about the arrest and arbitrary detention of opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, the Chairperson of Chadema, the main opposition party in Tanzania.

Tundu Lissu was arrested on April 9 after holding a political rally in Mbinga town. He was then transferred to Dar es Salaam during the night. Police used excessive force, including by firing teargas and shooting in the air to disperse his supporters who gathered around during the arrest. On April 10, he was charged with a capital and non-bailable offense of treason – which carries the death penalty –alongside two other offenses under the country’s cybercrime laws in relation to his social media posts calling for Tanzanians to boycott the forthcoming elections, citing the possibility of rigging.

I urge your government to immediately and unconditionally release Tundu Lissu as he is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights. I also urge you to end all arbitrary arrests and the growing crackdown on opposition leaders ahead of the October 2025 general elections. I further urge you to refrain from all attacks on opposition party members, real or perceived government critics, human rights defenders, and journalists.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]