In Senegal, the new permit application from Hissène Habré was rejected on March 29 on Sunday, April 18. The former Chadian president was sentenced in 2016 to life in prison by an African court for crimes against humanity during his reign from 1982 to 1990. Since his conviction, he has served his sentence in Cap Manuel Prison in Dakar. He had already benefited in April 2020 from a 60-day release from prison, granted by Senegalese justice due to the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the indignation of the collective for the victims of his regime.
as reported from Dakar, Thea Ollivier
Hissène Habré’s lawyers had requested a new permit motivated by the 79-year-old former Chad leader’s health condition.
A request was denied by the judge in Dakar. “The motivation for refusing permission is that the health issue is the management of the prison board,” his lawyers said in a press release. The latter notes, however, that his first permit in April 2020 had been granted “by the same judge” given his vulnerability to coronavirus. They then condemn a “rule of law (..) with variable geometry”.
“This is just justice,” said Kaltouma Deffalah, a victim of the Hissène Habré regime, who responded in a statement issued by Human Rights Watch. “The man who enslaved me must serve his sentence in accordance with the law,” said the flight attendant, who is asking for compensation from the court.
In total, approximately EUR 125 million is expected in compensation for more than 7,300 victims.
Read also: Former Chadian President Hissène Habré sentenced to life in prison
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