A Tanzanian court on August 18 ordered an end to live broadcasts of witness statements in the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, siding with a prosecution request to shield witnesses, The Citizen reported.

Senior Resident Magistrate in Charge Franco Kiswaga of the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam said the ruling complied with an earlier High Court order to protect the identities of prosecution witnesses, particularly civilians. He ruled that hearings will remain open to the public but no online streaming will be permitted unless expressly authorised.

Prosecutors argued that continued live-streaming would breach the August 4 High Court directive requiring civilian witnesses to testify behind a screen with their personal details concealed. Kiswaga warned that any individual or media outlet publishing restricted information in defiance of the order would face legal consequences.

Lissu, chairman of the opposition party Chadema, faces a treason charge under Section 39(2)(d) of Tanzania’s Penal Code. As bne IntelliNews reported, he is accused of making remarks on April 3, 2025, in Dar es Salaam that allegedly incited the public to obstruct the 2025 General Election by exerting pressure on the Head of State. The case has been transferred to the High Court for full hearings.

The detention of Lissu, who survived a 2017 assassination attempt, has raised concern among rights monitors over democratic backsliding in Tanzania. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office in 2021 after John Magufuli’s death, initially drew praise for easing repression. However, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have since documented a renewed crackdown on critics, including abductions and arbitrary arrests. Tanzania, an East African economic and transit hub, is set to hold general elections in October 2025. How the government handles dissent is seen as a key measure of its democratic direction.

Lissu has prepared a 102-page defence statement which he intends to present if a prima facie case is established, TimeLive reported. He objected to the broadcasting restrictions, arguing the prosecution was seeking secrecy, but Kiswaga maintained that “preventing live broadcasts does not deny the accused a fair hearing, as proceedings will still be conducted publicly in court.”

In a related move, as bne IntelliNews reported, Lissu's lawyers filed a complaint on May 30 to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, intensifying international pressure for his release ahead of the country’s general elections.