On Sunday, September 10, 2023, Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, along with three other individuals were briefly apprehended by law enforcement officials on grounds of allegedly organising an unlawful assembly.
Lissu has been conducting political gatherings nationwide since his return from exile in January. During these events, he has voiced criticism towards President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, specifically focusing on its human rights track record and its management of a contentious port agreement.
Mr. Lissu was detained in the town of Karatu in the north of the country just hours before he was scheduled to appear at a rally close to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The political party known as Chadema stated that they were subjected to detention in a hotel located in the northern Arusha region. Later, they were granted bail and released.
In January, President Samia Suluhu Hassan lifted a ban on political rallies that had been in place for six years, which allowed Mr. Lissu to return from exile in Belgium.
He has expressed disapproval of President Hassan’s administration due to its handling of a controversial port management agreement and its infringement on human rights.
In 2017, Mr. Lissu managed to survive an assassination attempt despite getting multiple gunshot wounds totaling at least 16. He was a presidential candidate in 2020, but he was defeated by the late John Magufuli.
