Chad court hands opposition leader, ex-PM, 20-year sentence

His lawyer, Kadjilembay Francis, told reporters after Saturday’s ruling in N’Djamena that Masra plans to appeal, Al Jazeera reported. Although Masra is a strong opponent of President Mahamat Idriss Deby, he served as prime minister for approximately five months in Deby's transitional administration before challenging him in the May 2024 election.

Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said the prison term handed to Succès Masra “sends a chilling message to critics” and underscores the Chadian government’s intolerance toward dissent and political opposition. “The courts should not be used for such political purposes,” he added.

As reported by Human Rights Watch, Masra was detained on May 16 and charged with inciting hatred and violence through social media posts following intercommunal confrontations that killed 42 people on May 14 in Mandakao, Logone Occidental province, situated in the southwest.

Human Rights Watch reported that Masra, who pleaded not guilty, was tried alongside 74 others accused of conspiring in the Mandakao killings. While at least nine defendants were acquitted, the rest received 20-year prison sentences. The court also imposed a fine of 1 billion CFA francs—about US$1.8 million—on Masra and his co-defendants. Defense lawyers have announced plans to appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court.