Eight opposition figures in Chad have been sentenced to eight years in prison, according to their lawyer, in what critics describe as another major crackdown on dissent under President Mahamat Idriss Deby.
The group was arrested in N’Djamena late last month, just days before a planned protest march that authorities later banned. They belong to a political movement that has consistently challenged Deby’s leadership and disputed the legitimacy of his election victory.
The opposition leaders had been under investigation for alleged criminal conspiracy, rebellion and illegal possession of weapons.
Speaking after Friday’s ruling, their lawyer, Moussa Adoum, criticised the court’s decision, saying the convictions were based on charges that lacked evidence.
“We are disappointed, though not surprised,” Adoum said, adding that the defence team would appeal the verdict in hopes of getting a fair hearing free from political interference.
The sentencing adds to growing concerns over political repression in Chad since Deby took power in 2021 after the death of his father, former president Idriss Deby Itno, who ruled the country for more than three decades before being killed by rebels.
Since then, several prominent opposition figures have either been jailed, silenced or forced out of the political scene.
Among them is opposition leader and former prime minister Succès Masra, who was sentenced last year to 20 years in prison on charges of inciting hatred. Human Rights Watch and other observers condemned the trial, describing it as politically motivated.
Masra’s Transformers party had recently organised a rally demanding the release of the detained opposition figures. During the demonstration, security forces reportedly killed one protester.
The latest court ruling came just a day after Chad’s Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of the GCAP coalition, a political alliance made up of opposition parties and civil society groups. The movement had campaigned for a boycott of the 2024 presidential election that formally brought Deby to power after three years of interim rule.
In recent months, GCAP leaders have accused the government of intimidation, threats and suppressing public demonstrations.
Tensions have also grown following constitutional changes approved by parliament in October, allowing the president to serve unlimited seven-year terms. Opposition groups condemned the move as authoritarian, warning it could pave the way for Deby to remain in power indefinitely, much like his father before him.
