A magistrate court in Tanzania ordered that an opposition leader who was charged with treason last month be brought to court in person next month after he went on hunger strike to protest against virtual hearings.
Opposition leader Tundu Lissu was arrested on April 9 after calling for electoral reforms before a general election in October and was charged with treason, a charge for which bail isn’t available.
Lissu’s party, Chadema, has been outspoken about electoral reforms, arrests and detentions of opposition politicians before the vote in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan is seeking election after serving out her predecessor’s term in office.
Chadema officials were arrested last month as they drove to court for a scheduled hearing of Lissu’s treason case. They were later released without being charged.
The magistrate’s court ordered prison authorities to present Lissu for a hearing of his case on May 19.
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