TANZANIA - Update on the Tundu Lissu case: nominated for the Sakharov Prize

September 16, 2026 - TANZANIA. Update on the Tundu Lissu case: nominated for the Sakharov Prize

Two of the nine political groups in the European Parliament in Strasbourg have agreed on a candidate for the Sakharov Prize: Tundu Lissu. Other political groups have proposed different candidates, but the Tanzanian political prisoner is the only one on whom two groups have agreed, and it is therefore likely that the ‘European Parliament’s 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought’ will be awarded to Lissu.

Tanzania, a major East African nation with a population of over 70 million, is currently experiencing a period of political instability. As is well known, Tundu Lissu, aged 58, a lawyer by profession, is the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition party. He was arrested on 9 April 2025 on vague charges summarised under the term ‘treason’, and has been held on death row ever since.

In his campaign speeches, Lissu is said to have explicitly called for measures to prevent electoral fraud. Having explicitly expressed doubts about the fairness of the ballot count is the reason why the current President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, of the Revolution Party, has issued a decree banning Lissu and his entire party from taking part in the elections.

Lissu, who in the past also served as President of the Tanzanian Bar Association, is representing himself at his trial before the Supreme Court. Due to the vagueness of the charges – which are based on evidence that the prosecution wishes to keep ‘secret’ – the trial is proceeding very slowly and, according to many observers, is effectively ‘at a standstill’. It appears that Lissu has been offered a deal to have the charges dropped in exchange for a commitment to leave the country and renounce his political activities.

The proposal was put forward by the EPP and ECR groups, which are positioned on the centre-right of the political spectrum.

The EPP (European People’s Party) is better known in Italy by its acronym PPE. It is the largest group in the European Parliament, accounting for 26 per cent of MEPs. The Italian parties that are part of the EPP are Forza Italia and the Südtiroler Volkspartei (SVP).

The ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists) is the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament.

The Italian party that is part of the ECR is Fratelli d’Italia.

Below are the press releases from the two groups which, on 16 September, formalised their proposal to award Lissu the prestigious Sakharov Prize, second in importance only to the Nobel Peace Prize.

EPP - The European People’s Party (EPP) Group has nominated Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the European Union’s highest human rights honour.

A Tanzanian court on August 21, 2026 ruled that the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu will go ahead after finding that he has a case to answer.
The trial comes after Tanzania weathered international criticism over its handling of protests around national polls last year, in which thousands were killed according to the opposition and rights activists. (Photo by AFP)

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work, awarded annually to individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Lissu, a lawyer, human rights activist and veteran politician, survived a 2017 assassination attempt in which he was shot 16 times. He later returned to Tanzania to continue his campaign for democratic reform, only to face arrest, treason charges and exclusion from the 2025 presidential election. His party was also barred from participating in the vote.

The EPP Group said his case reflects the wider erosion of democratic pluralism and political competition in Tanzania.

The group described Lissu as embodying a powerful combination of personal courage, democratic conviction and geopolitical relevance. His nomination, it said, affirms that Europe stands with those defending constitutional democracy and political freedom in Africa and in other partner countries of the EU.

Lissu, the group added, represents the defence of democracy, political pluralism, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms at extraordinary personal cost.

https://mwanzotv.com/epp-group-nominates-tanzanias-tundu-lissu-for-eus-top-human-rights-prize/

ECR - The European Conservatives and Reformists Group has nominated Tanzanian opposition leader and human-rights defender Tundu Lissu for the European Parliament’s 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

ECR Group members endorsed Lissu’s candidacy on Tuesday following a proposal by Carlo Fidanza, Leader of the Italian Delegation in the ECR Group, and Latvian ECR MEP Rihards Kols.

A lawyer and Chairman of Tanzania’s main opposition party CHADEMA, Lissu has spent much of his public life campaigning for free and fair elections, constitutional government, freedom of expression and the rule of law.

In 2017, he survived an assassination attempt in which he was shot multiple times. After receiving medical treatment abroad, he returned to Tanzania and resumed his political activities, standing in the 2020 presidential election. In April 2025, he was arrested following a political rally and charged with treason, a capital offence carrying the possibility of the death penalty.

Fidanza said Lissu’s nomination was a message of solidarity with those who continue to pursue democratic change despite political persecution.

“Tundu Lissu has paid an extraordinary personal price for standing up for democracy, yet he has refused to be silenced. He chose ballots over violence, the rule of law over intimidation and political engagement over retreat. Europe must stand with those who defend these principles when doing so puts their freedom and even their lives at risk,” Fidanza said.

Kols said Lissu embodied the courage and commitment to freedom that the Sakharov Prize was created to recognise.

“Tundu Lissu survived an attempt on his life, returned home and continued his peaceful fight for free elections and constitutional government. Today, he faces imprisonment and the threat of the death penalty for challenging those in power. His courage reminds us that freedom cannot be taken for granted and that those who defend it deserve more than our words – they deserve our support,” Kols said.

For the ECR Group, Lissu’s case also highlights the wider importance of protecting political pluralism, civic space and the rule of law in Tanzania and across East Africa. Democratic opposition must be able to operate freely, and political disagreement must never be answered with violence, arbitrary detention or the threat of execution.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded annually by the European Parliament to individuals and organisations that have made an exceptional contribution to the defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The deadline for political groups to submit nominations is 17 September. The candidates will be presented on 1 October at a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Committee on Development. The Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Development will then select a three-candidate shortlist on 19 October, before the Conference of Presidents chooses the winner. The award ceremony will take place during the December plenary session in Strasbourg.

https://ecrgroup.eu/article/ecr_group_nominates_tundu_lissu_for_2026_sakharov_prize

 

On the Lissu case, see also HoC 19 June 2025, 28 June 2025, 15 July 2025, 30 July 2025, 3 September 2025, 4 September 2025, 28 October 2025, 2 November 2025, 13 November 2025, 8 December 2025, 9 April 2026 and 10 April 2026.