Tundu Lissu’s sedition case adjourned to September 23

Dar es Salaam. The sedition case against the former Singida East Tundu Lissu and other three has been adjourned to September 23, 2019 due to absence of the first accused, who is undergoing medical treatment in Belgium.

The other co-accused includes editors of Mawio newspaper Mr Simon Mkina and Jabir Idrisa and director of Jamana Printers Mr Ismael Mehboob.

Mr Lissu was shot by unknown people in September 2017, while he was attending parliamentary session in Tanzania’s capital Dodoma and he has is currently in Belgium for treatment.

The state attorney Sylivia Mitando, on Thursday August 22, 2019 told the senior resident magistrate Thomas Simba that the case had come for mention, but she asked for another date due to absence of Mr Tundu Lissu.

Following the request, the magistrate ruled out that the case will be mentioned on September 23 this year.

The four accused are face five counts including sedition, in accordance with the Newspaper Act of 2002.

It was alleged that between January 12 and 14, 2016 in Dar es Salaam, Mr Jabir Idris, Mr Simon Mkina and Mr Tundu  Lissu published a story with headline “Violence coming to Zanzibar”.

In the second count, it was alleged that in January 14, 2016, at Jamana Printers building, the accused published the story to fuel hate among the people of Zanzibar.

Mr Mehboob is accused of printing Mawio newspaper on January 13, 2016 at his printing house located in Ilala, which contained seditious material.