Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, imprisoned and facing a possible death sentence, has been nominated for the EU’s top human rights prize.
He is on trial for treason, which he denies, since April 2025. The nomination was made by the European People’s Party.
The EPP Group has nominated lawyer, human rights activist and politician Mr Tundu Lissu as a candidate for the Sakharov Prize.
After surviving a 2017 assassination attempt, Mr Lissu returned to Tanzania to continue advocating democratic reform, only to face arrest, treason charges and exclusion from the 2025 presidential election, while his party was barred from participating.
His case reflects the wider erosion of democratic pluralism and political competition in Tanzania.
For the EPP Group, Mr Lissu represents a powerful combination of personal courage, democratic conviction and geopolitical relevance. His nomination affirms that Europe stands with those defending constitutional democracy and political freedom in Africa and in other partner countries of the EU. Mr Lissu embodies the defence of democracy, political pluralism, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms at extraordinary personal cost.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work.