Supreme Court Upholds 20-Year Sentence

Chad’s Supreme Court in N’Djamena has definitively rejected the appeal filed by the legal team of former Prime Minister Succès Masra, leader of the Transformers Party, confirming his 20-year prison sentence.

On May 21, the court dismissed the appeal, effectively ending all domestic legal recourse. The decision follows Masra’s August conviction by the Criminal Court for charges including racist and xenophobic messaging, criminal association, and complicity in murder.

The ruling stems from a 2023 message deemed inflammatory, which prosecutors argued contributed to deadly intercommunal clashes in Mandakao in May 2025. Security forces, including police and military personnel, were heavily deployed around the Supreme Court during the hearing, restricting access despite the session’s public nature.

Political Trial Allegations

With this verdict, Succès Masra’s options are now limited to pursuing appeals in sub-regional or international courts. Supporters of the opposition leader have condemned the trial as politically motivated. “We hope a political solution will be found,” stated Claudia Hoinathy, a senior member of the Transformers Party.