Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for inciting unrest, avoiding the heavier charge of treason that carries the death penalty

After 19 months in detention, Tanzania's main opposition leader Tundu Lissu will know his fate on Friday in a treason trial that has drawn international criticism and carries a potential death penalty.

A Tanzanian court sentenced opposition leader Tundu Lissu to four years in prison for inciting people to disrupt last year’s election but acquitted him of treason, ruling that prosecutors had failed to prove he intended to intimidate the government.