Amnesty urges justice one year after Chad protest crackdown

The families of people killed in a bloody crackdown on a protest against Chad’s military regime are still waiting for justice one year on, Amnesty International said on Friday.

More than 100 people are thought to have died on October 20, 2022, when police and soldiers opened fire on youths protesting against a move by military president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno to cling to power.

“The security forces responded by using live ammunition against the demonstrators, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries,” the rights group said in a statement to mark the anniversary of the bloodshed.

“According to a preliminary assessment by the National Human Rights Commission, there were at least 128 deaths, 12 missing persons, 518 injured, 943 arrests and 265 convictions.”

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“Despite the authorities’ immediate promise of an inquiry, all we have seen up to now is unfair trials behind closed doors of demonstrators and the absence of serious investigations into the alleged perpetrators,” Amnesty said.

“It is imperative that the Chadian authorities respect their commitment to justice.”

When the army declared Deby president in 2021 — following the death of his father, who had ruled the Sahel state with an iron hand for more than 30 years — he promised to return power to civilians through “free elections” after an 18-month transition.

But in October last year, he extended his military rule by two years.

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Hundreds of demonstrators poured onto the streets of the semi-desert country on October 20, 2022.

The protests were suppressed by the security forces, who Amnesty said were “responsible for the unlawful use of lethal weapons”.

The authorities have only acknowledged the deaths of 50 people.

Nearly a thousand young people were rounded up after the protests, as were senior opposition figures, who have since gone into exile.

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The authorities say 621 young people were arrested, including 83 minors.

All of whom were taken to a prison in the middle of the desert 600 kilometres (370 miles) from the capital, N’Djamena.

They were tried behind closed doors, without lawyers, and most sentenced to prison for “attempted insurrection”.

On Thursday, the authorities said six members of the security forces had been “savagely” killed by demonstrators during the protest.

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Human Rights Watch said at least 72 young activists and supporters of the opposition party, the Transformers, were arrested earlier this month and are being held at a secret location.

The rights group accused the military of continuing to restrict dissent, two months ahead of referendum on a new constitution scheduled for December 17.

– By: © Agence France-Presse