On 9 April, Tanzanian police arrested Tundu Lissu, the Chairperson of the country’s main opposition party, Chadema after holding a political rally in Mbinga town, southwest of Tanzania. He was then transferred to Dar es Salaam, more than 1,000 kilometres away by road during the night. Police used excessive force, including by firing teargas and shooting in the air to disperse his supporters who gathered around during the arrest. Police later charged Tundu Lissu with a non-bailable offence of treason – which carries the death penalty – alongside two other offences under the country’s cybercrime laws. Tanzanian authorities must stop the repression of opposition leaders and immediately release Tundu Lissu, as he is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights.
