Succes Masra denies the costs in opposition to him, which relate to inter-communal clashes that left dozens useless in Might.
Chad’s former prime minister and opposition chief Succes Masra has been sentenced to twenty years in jail for disseminating racist and xenophobic messages that incited violence.
Defence lawyer Kadjilembay Francis instructed reporters following Saturday’s ruling at a court docket within the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, that Masra would enchantment his sentence.
“He has simply been subjected to ignominy and unworthy humiliation,” Francis mentioned.
Masra, who was prime minister between January and Might final yr, is the pinnacle of the Transformers celebration and a pointy critic of Mahamat Deby, Chad’s present president.
He was accused alongside 67 co-defendants, principally from the identical Ngambaye ethnic group, of inflicting a conflict between herders and farmers in Might in Logone Occidental, within the southwest of the central African nation. The combating left 35 individuals useless and 6 others injured.
Masra has denied the costs in opposition to him, which embody hate speech, xenophobia and having incited a bloodbath.
Earlier than leaving the courtroom on Saturday, he gave a message to his supporters: “Stand agency.” Activists along with his celebration mentioned they’d put out a “particular message” later within the day.
The Ngambaye ethnic group enjoys huge recognition among the many predominantly Christian and animist populations of the south, whose members really feel marginalised by the largely Muslim-dominated authorities in N’Djamena.
Masra left Chad after a bloody crackdown on his followers in 2022, solely returning beneath an amnesty agreed in 2024.
He confronted off in opposition to Deby in that yr’s presidential election, which Deby received with greater than 61 p.c assist.
However Masra didn’t settle for the outcomes, claiming that the vote was rigged. He later agreed to function premier after signing a reconciliation take care of Deby.
Masra has strongly opposed the army rulers who got here to energy in Chad in April 2021, after the loss of life of Deby’s father, Idriss Deby Itno, who had led the nation for 30 years.
Deby took energy in 2021 and legitimised his presidency with a parliamentary election earlier this year, which was opposed by Masra and his celebration.