Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – A court in Tanzania has banned live media broadcasts of the treason trial of the country’s main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu. The ruling was made on Monday by Principal Resident Magistrate Franco Kiswaga, who said the decision was to protect the identities of civilian witnesses.
Mr. Lissu, the leader of the CHADEMA party, was arrested in April after a speech that prosecutors say called on the public to disrupt upcoming presidential and legislative elections. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
The opposition leader condemned the court’s decision, stating that the ban would allow the trial to operate in “darkness” and prevent his supporters from following the case.
Mr. Lissu, a former lawyer, survived an assassination attempt in 2017 when he was shot 16 times. He ran for president in 2020 and finished in second place. His party has been banned from participating in the general election in October after demanding changes to what it calls a flawed electoral process.
Add Comment