Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu to start hunger strike amid denied lawyer visits
Tundu Lissu, a jailed Tanzanian opposition figure, will begin a hunger strike on Monday after prison officials allegedly blocked court-ordered private meetings with his attorneys.
Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017, is facing a treason charge that could carry the death penalty. He has been held for more than 18 months, with a final verdict scheduled for November 6. His lawyer claims prison authorities refused to allow the mandated private consultations. Lissu was detained in April 2025 following calls for electoral reforms, and an inquiry later reported at least 518 deaths linked to election violence.
Why it matters
The protest highlights concerns over legal rights and political repression in Tanzania.
In this story
hunger striketreason chargeprison conditionselectoral reformselection violenceUnited Nations investigation
