Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania – The opposition party CHADEMA’s efforts to locate detained party leader Tundu Lissu hit a wall.
According to an official party statement, the Deputy Secretary General-Zanzibar, Advocate Ali Ibrahim Juma alongside family members and party officials visited Keko Prison where Lissu had been held on treason charges but were informed he was no longer there with no explanation was provided.
Lissu, who was arrested last week on accusations of treason had been detained at Keko Prison, Dar es Salaam. But during Friday’s official visit, prison authorities denied his presence and offered no legal or administrative clarification.
CHADEMA now says it cannot verify the location or condition of their leader raising serious human rights concerns and drawing renewed international attention to Tanzania’s democratic integrity.
In a statement signed by Brenda Rupia, CHADEMA’s Director of Communication and Publicity, the party condemned the lack of transparency.
“If he is still being held at Keko Prison, it is the fundamental human and constitutional right of his family, leaders and party members to see him.”
The party is demanding immediate answers from the Tanzania Prisons Service, relevant authorities and state security agencies.
With legal access blocked and no official documentation presented about his transfer, many believe this marks yet another dark chapter in the state’s ongoing repression of opposition voices.
Tundu Lissu, a renowned lawyer, human rights defender and former presidential candidate has long stood as one of the most vocal critics of Tanzania’s ruling regime.
His arrest on treason charges last week was met with outrage particularly as the government offered little evidence to justify such serious accusations.
His current situation has escalated into a full-blown crisis not just for CHADEMA, but for civil society. The silence surrounding his detention and now disappearance is drawing comparisons to past authoritarian tactics used to sideline critics and paralyze opposition movements.
Human rights organizations across the region are calling for transparency and demanding that Tanzanian authorities uphold both domestic and international legal standards.
The United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance clearly states that no individual should be detained without acknowledgement or access to legal representation.
The CHADEMA statement emphasized that if Lissu is still within the Keko facility or any government custody, access must be granted immediately. If he has been moved, the public and his legal team must be informed without delay.
With no confirmed location, no legal access and no communication, the fate of Tundu Lissu remains a distressing mystery. As opposition members, rights activists and concerned citizens rally for answers, the Tanzanian government faces a critical moment, either uphold the rule of law or continue down a path of authoritarian suppression.
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