Chad's President Déby pardons jailed main rival and eight opposition leaders
Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Déby has pardoned jailed former prime minister and main opposition leader Succès Masra along with eight other party leaders. Masra had been serving a 20-year sentence for hate speech, xenophobia and inciting a massacre in a trial Human Rights Watch called politically motivated.
Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Déby announced on Friday that he had pardoned Succès Masra, the country's main opposition leader and a former prime minister, along with eight other leaders from Masra's party.
Masra had been serving a 20-year sentence on charges of hate speech, xenophobia and inciting a massacre, in a trial that Human Rights Watch described as politically motivated and that drew criticism from the international community.
The timing of the pardon is being read as an attempt by the government to ease tensions with the opposition. Details on the release process for Masra and the other leaders have not yet been made public.
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