Tanzania’s main opposition party says it has been unable to locate its leader, Tundu Lissu, after he was moved from the Dar es Salaam prison where he had been held since April 9 on treason charges.

According to CHADEMA officials, along with Lissu’s legal team and family, several attempts to visit him on Friday were denied. They now say they don’t know where he is being held. Authorities from the prison service have not responded to inquiries, and a government spokesperson has not returned calls or messages.

CHADEMA is calling on the prison service and relevant agencies to reveal Lissu’s whereabouts and provide assurances regarding his safety.

Lissu, who was the runner-up in the 2020 presidential election, was arrested last week over a speech that prosecutors allege encouraged public unrest and called for disruption of the electoral process. He has not yet been permitted to enter a plea.

The situation comes as President Samia Suluhu Hassan faces renewed scrutiny over her administration’s human rights record, particularly ahead of elections scheduled for later this year.

The electoral commission recently announced CHADEMA would be barred from participating in the upcoming polls due to its refusal to sign a code of conduct. The party argues that reforms are needed before agreeing to such terms.

While President Hassan was initially praised for easing political tensions after taking office in 2021, she has since drawn criticism over a series of arrests, alleged abductions, and restrictions on opposition activity. She has pledged to uphold human rights and previously ordered investigations into such incidents.