Chadian opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succès Masra will remain in prison after the country’s Supreme Court rejected his appeal, according to his legal team.
Masra, a prominent critic of President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, was arrested in May 2025 and later sentenced in August to 20 years in prison for charges including incitement to violence and complicity in murder. Rights group Human Rights Watch has described the trial as politically motivated.
His lawyer, Francis Kadjilembaye, said the court dismissed their appeal despite strong legal arguments, effectively upholding the earlier conviction.
The ruling comes amid growing political tension in Chad, where opposition voices have increasingly faced arrests, convictions, and restrictions on political activity. Earlier this month, eight opposition figures were also sentenced to eight years in prison on charges linked to insurrection, following the dissolution of their coalition by authorities.
Security was heavily tightened around the Supreme Court in N’Djamena during the hearing, with police deployed in large numbers and journalists reportedly restricted from accessing the courtroom.
Human Rights Watch has criticised Masra’s continued detention, saying it reflects increasing intolerance for political dissent in the country.
Masra, who trained as an economist in France and Cameroon, previously served briefly as prime minister and later contested the 2024 presidential election against President Déby, where he officially scored 18.5 percent of the vote against Déby’s 61.3 percent, though he disputed the result.
The latest ruling further deepens concerns over political freedoms in Chad as opposition groups continue to allege intimidation and shrinking civic space.
