Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

Senegal to try former president of Chad for war crimes

The former president of Chad, Hissene Habre, will be put on trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture, announced a special tribunal in Senegal on Friday.

The Extraordinary African Chamber announced the decision in response to a 19 month investigation, with Mr Habre likely to face trial in May or June of this year. The 72 year old, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, fled the country once he left office. Approximately 40,000 people are thought to have been killed under his government. He lived freely in Senegal until he was detained in June 2013.

The decision to make Mr Habre stand trial was hailed by Jacqueline Moudeina, lead lawyer for the victims, who called it an “an enormous victory for justice”.

"After so many years, Habre's victims are now on the verge of seeing justice done for what they have endured," she added.

The decision was also praised by Reed Brody, counsel for Human Rights Watch (HRW), who said it showed it was "possible for victims, with tenacity and perseverance, to bring a dictator to justice".

See more from AFP here and Reuters here.

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.