Chad: Political Opponents Freed, but Convictions Remain
The Chadian authorities have released Succès Masra, the former prime minister and main opposition leader, from prison after receiving a presidential pardon. Masra was released on August 15, 2026, along with eight other political opponents who were also pardoned.
The pardon was a positive development, but Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns that the convictions of the political opponents still stand. Masra was arrested on May 16, 2025, after running against then-transitional President Mahamat Idriss Déby in the 2024 presidential election. He was charged with inciting hatred and violence through social media posts following the deaths of 42 people in intercommunal clashes on May 14 in Mandakao, Logone Occidental province.
Masra was tried alongside 74 co-defendants, all accused of collaboration in the deaths at Mandakao. While at least 9 of the defendants were released at trial, the remainder received 20-year prison sentences. The 65 co-defendants convicted alongside Masra are still in prison and should also be released, and their convictions should be set aside, Human Rights Watch said.
Masra and his co-defendants still have an outstanding fine to the total of 1 billion Central African francs (approximately US$1.8 million), imposed at the same time as their prison sentences. The standing conviction also means he retains his criminal record and leaves him ineligible to run for office.
The Chadian authorities should go beyond the presidential pardon and ensure that Masra's conviction is set aside, according to Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Masra's case was significant, as he and his supporters from the opposition party Les Transformateurs faced threats prior to the May 2024 elections.
A government crackdown on freedom of expression and association has at times been very violent. After Idriss Déby Itno's death, security forces used excessive force, including live ammunition fired indiscriminately, to disperse opposition-led demonstrations across the country. Several protesters were killed. Authorities detained activists and opposition party members, and security forces beat journalists covering the protests.
The presidential pardon decree presented the releases of Masra and the eight GCAP leaders as a gesture toward national unity and reconciliation, but the authorities have shown intolerance of debate or dissent, including open discussions about Chad's past. The Chadian authorities should bring this matter to a close, vacate Masra's conviction, and let him exercise his rights and re-engage in politics, Mudge said.
The Chadian authorities should ensure that Masra's conviction is set aside, and he can continue to participate in politics without fear of persecution.
