Tanzanian Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu Ends Hunger Strike Following Legal Access Dispute
Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has ended a hunger strike after prison officials granted him private access to his legal counsel ahead of his trial.
POLICY WIRE — Nairobi, Kenya — Tanzanian opposition figurehead Tundu Lissu has concluded a brief hunger strike after prison officials permitted him to hold private consultations with his legal team.
The CHADEMA party leader had initiated the protest on Monday, citing a persistent refusal by authorities to facilitate court-mandated private meetings with his attorneys. The standoff reached a resolution on Tuesday when prison staff allowed the politician to meet with his younger brother, according to his lead counsel.
Lissu, a prominent critic of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party—which has governed Tanzania since 1961—is currently detained while facing treason charges. He previously survived a 2017 assassination attempt in which he was shot 16 times.
The hunger strike occurred as the legal proceedings against him intensify, with a critical judgment in his treason trial scheduled for November 6. If convicted, the opposition leader faces the potential penalty of death.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
