Tanzania’s main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, who is facing a treason trial that could carry the death penalty, has been nominated for the European Parliament’s 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
The nomination, announced on September 16, was made by the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) political group in the European Parliament.
Lissu, a lawyer and chairman of the opposition CHADEMA party, was nominated in recognition of his long-standing advocacy for free elections, constitutional government, freedom of expression and the rule of law.
The Sakharov Prize is the European Parliament’s annual award for individuals or organisations judged to have made an exceptional contribution to defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The nomination does not mean Lissu has won the prize.
Under the Parliament’s process, nominees are considered by relevant parliamentary committees, which select a shortlist of three before the Conference of Presidents chooses the eventual laureate.
The 2026 award is scheduled to be presented in December.
Lissu has been detained since his arrest in April 2025 and is facing a treason charge linked to remarks made during a CHADEMA meeting concerning the party’s opposition to participating in Tanzania’s 2025 general election and its call for electoral reforms.
On August 21, 2026, Tanzania’s High Court ruled that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence for Lissu to have a case to answer, requiring him to begin his defence.
Treason is a capital offence under Tanzanian law, meaning a conviction can carry the death penalty.
The European Parliament previously expressed concern over Lissu’s arrest and prosecution, saying in a May 2025 resolution that the charges appeared politically motivated and noting the potential risk of capital punishment.
Lissu survived an assassination attempt in 2017, when he was shot multiple times.
After receiving medical treatment abroad, he returned to Tanzania and continued his political career.
He contested the 2020 presidential election and remained one of the country’s most prominent opposition figures.
His nomination for the Sakharov Prize places his ongoing legal case and Tanzania’s political environment under renewed international attention.
The European Parliament is expected to present the 2026 candidates formally in October, with the final winner to be announced later in the year.