Tanzanian Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu Ends Hunger Strike After Securing Lawyer Access

Tanzania's prominent opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, has concluded a brief hunger strike after prison authorities granted him private meetings with his legal counsel, according to his lawyer. Lissu, who heads the Party for Democracy and Progress (CHADEMA) and was the runner-up in the 2020 presidential election, commenced his refusal of food on Monday. This action was reportedly prompted by his lawyers being denied access to the prison where he is detained. Party spokesperson Brenda Rupia stated on X that Lissu had skipped his tea, breakfast, and lunch. His lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, informed The Associated Press on Tuesday that Lissu ended the strike after lunch, following a meeting with his brother. Lissu's detention, alongside allegations of abductions targeting government critics, has drawn international attention to the human rights record of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who secured victory in the 2025 election. The Tanzanian government has refuted claims of widespread abuses, asserting its commitment to upholding human rights. In 2024, an investigation was ordered into reports of abductions, though no public findings have been released.

Accounts regarding the commencement of Lissu's protest vary. While CHADEMA spokesperson Rupia indicated the strike began on Monday, Nshala told AP it started Tuesday morning after promised private consultations did not materialize. Tanzania's prisons service has denied these reports, with a statement to the Swahili-language daily Mwananchi asserting Lissu's safety and denying any hunger strike. Nshala had previously expressed concerns about Lissu's health, noting his reliance on medication.

Tundu Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 where he was shot 16 times, was arrested in April 2025. He faces charges of treason, stemming from a speech prosecutors allege incited the public to rebel and disrupt the previous year's general election. Lissu has pleaded not guilty, and his defense team maintains the charges are politically motivated. A judgment in his case is anticipated on November 6. On Tuesday, CHADEMA declared seven days of mourning, from Thursday until November 4, to commemorate the anniversary of the October 29 election. A government-commissioned inquiry reported at least 518 fatalities in the post-election violence, a figure CHADEMA contests, estimating around 2,000 deaths, a number the United Nations could not verify.