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(Reuters) – The main opposition party in Tanzania, CHADEMA, announced on Saturday that its leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges, has been relocated to another prison. This news follows a period where his exact location was unconfirmed, raising concerns among his supporters.
The allegations against Lissu have intensified the scrutiny of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, particularly regarding her human rights practices, as she campaigns for re-election later this month. Hassan has publicly committed to human rights and good governance throughout her administration.
According to a spokesperson for CHADEMA, party leaders recently met with officials from the Tanzania Prisons Service and were informed of Lissu’s transfer.
“CHADEMA would like to inform the public… Lissu has been transferred to Ukonga Prison,” stated party spokesperson Brenda Rupia.
Attempts to reach Elizabeth Mbezi, a spokesperson for the Tanzania Prisons Service, for comments on Lissu’s transfer were unsuccessful.
The government’s spokesperson, Gerson Msigwa, noted that any comments regarding cases once a charge has been laid are the responsibility of the appropriate authorities.
Previously, CHADEMA had reported that officials, along with Lissu’s lawyers and family members, were unable to gain access to him at a detention facility in Dar es Salaam, where he had been held since April 10.
Following the transfer, Rupia stated that the party had not received any explanations regarding the reason for Lissu’s change of location.
Lissu, who was the runner-up in the 2020 presidential election, faces serious charges of treason based on claims made by prosecutors that he incited public insurrection against the upcoming elections scheduled for later this year. This charge has prevented him from entering a plea.
Notably, the election commission recently announced that CHADEMA would be disqualified from the upcoming election, citing the party’s refusal to sign a new code of conduct while advocating for electoral reforms.
Since assuming power in 2021, Hassan garnered praise for easing some of the repressive measures against political dissent and media censorship that became widespread under her predecessor, the late John Magufuli.
However, in recent months, she has faced growing backlash from human rights advocates who highlight a disturbing trend of arrests, mysterious disappearances, and violent actions against political opponents.
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