A former president of Chad, Hissene Habre has been sentenced to life imprisonment

– His case was heard by the Extraordinary African Chambers (CAE) court, a special tribunal set up by the African Union under a deal with Senegal

– Witnesses recounted the horror of life in Chad’s prisons, describing how they were maltreated by Habre’s feared secret police

– The verdict brings a long-awaited reckoning to families of the up to 40,000 people killed, kidnapped, raped or tortured under his 1982-1990 rule as president

– Amnesty International said the verdict would serve as a guiding light for those living in repressive regimes around the world

The former president of Chad, Hissene Habre has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Extraordinary African Chambers set up by Senegal, after he was found guilty of crimes against humanity, rape and sexual slavery.

Habre, whose trial for crimes against humanity took place in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, was sentenced on Monday, May 30, BBC reports.

It marks the first time that the court created by the African Union has tried a former leader for human rights abuses.

He was president from 1982 to 1990, and fled to Senegal when he was overthrown. It’s been 11 years since a court in Belgium issued a warrant for him and 26 years since he fled Chad.

His victims expressed satisfaction over verdict, saying it was a historic day for Chad and for Africa.

“It is the first time that an African head of state has been found guilty in another African country. This will be a lesson to other dictators in Africa who are still there and impose dictatorship,” one of the victims said.

On her part, his wife, Fatim Raymonde Habre described the trial as unfair, saying, “a trial that is not worthy of the rule of law. There were no defence witnesses and no investigation. And today it was so miserable when I heard the judge speaking. I did not see a solid legal argument worthy of justice.”

Amnesty International has called for a trust fund for victims of convicted war criminal Hissene Habre to be set up “without delay”.

Reacting to Habre’s conviction, the US secretary of state, John Kerry said it was a landmark ruling.

“As a country committed to the respect for human rights and the pursuit of justice, this is also an opportunity for the United States to reflect on, and learn from, our own connection with past events in Chad,” he said.

Others have also been reacting to Habre’s sentence, likening the situation to that of Nigeria where the military harass and kill innocent civilians.

Source

https://www.naij.com/845001-former-president-sentenced-life-imprisonment.html?poster=2857

Buhari brother

u copied from naij.com and u forgot to edit? haba! which one is "read also"?

Good. We are getting there.

Those figures are exaggerated. Comes to no surprise French stooge Senegal did the job on behalf of the slave master ( France). Big shame on the gorki.

Very good

Hissene Habre is a patriot.

we dont need icc...we will punish our own,ourselves.............................