Tanzania opposition leader avoids death penalty in treason trial

Detailed summary

Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was convicted Friday on the lesser charge of incitement to unrest, avoiding the death penalty, in a treason trial that has drawn…

Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for inciting unrest, potentially barring him from the next election, in a case that has drawn international condemnation.

Tanzania was considered one of the more stable democracies in Africa but has seen its reputation plummet as the long-ruling government has cracked down brutally on the opposition and protests.

Lissu, head of the main opposition party, Chadema, was arrested ahead of last year's presidential election on treason charges and has spent 19 months in jail.

The court said he was not guilty of treason, but instead convicted him of incitement -- even though it was not among the charges in the case -- and sentenced him to four years in prison.

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