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DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA — Lawyers representing opposition leader Tundu Lissu have officially initiated court proceedings to contest his four-year prison sentence following his conviction for incitement.
Speaking on Sunday, November 8, 2026, defence lawyer Paul Kisabo confirmed that the legal team filed a formal notice of intention to appeal on November 6.
The notice, submitted by CHADEMA’s Chief Legal Officer Dr. Rugemeleza Nshala, marks the preliminary step toward bringing the matter before the Court of Appeal of Tanzania within the mandatory 10-day window.
The move comes after the High Court of Tanzania (Dar es Salaam Sub-Registry) sentenced the CHADEMA Chairman to four years in prison on November 6, acquitting him of treason but finding him guilty of incitement.
The verdict concluded a 19-month legal process that began with Lissu’s arrest on April 9, 2025, in Mbinga, Ruvuma Region, shortly after he addressed a political rally. The trial ran for 577 days from its commencement on September 8, 2025.
Kisabo revealed that the defence will challenge the High Court’s decision on two main procedural and legal grounds.
First, the legal team contends that Lissu was never formally charged with or given the opportunity to defend himself against incitement, as the initial charge framed by the state was treason.
Second, the defense argues against the custodial sentence, maintaining that the court should have imposed a fine under provisions such as Section 35 of the Penal Code.
“Since we have the opportunity to take this matter to the Court of Appeal, we, as lawyers, have already begun the process of going there to seek justice for Honourable Tundu Lissu,” Kisabo stated during a visit to Lissu’s family home following the death of Lissu’s father.
The legal team expects to receive full court records and judgment copies on Monday, November 9, to finalize their detailed grounds of appeal.
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