Hate Speech: Former Prime Minister Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison In Chad

Former Prime Minister Masra was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Chad for his alleged role in provoking violence that resulted in the deaths of mostly women and children in Mandakao. The court in the capital N'Djamena convicted Masra, an outspoken critic of President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, alongside nearly 70 others accused of participating in the killings.

Masra's defense lawyer condemned the ruling as politically motivated, while Masra's party, Transformers, stated they would issue a special message in response to the judgment. Masra, an economist who rose to prominence as a staunch opponent of Chad's ruling authority, was arrested in May 2022 and charged with inciting hatred, forming armed gangs, and complicity in murder.

The violence on May 14 was part of a wider pattern of deadly clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers in Chad. Masra, who remains popular among the predominantly Christian animist community, has long been accused.