Six opposition leaders in Chad, prosecuted in particular for "
disturbing public order
" after a demonstration enamelled with incidents on May 14 against France, were sentenced on Monday to a one-year suspended prison sentence, said the AFP the public prosecutor.
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The six men were sentenced "
to a 12-month suspended prison sentence and to pay 10 million CFA francs in damages to the Chadian state
", around 15,000 euros, said Moussa Wade Djibrine.
A two-year prison sentence had been requested.
This hasty trial opened Monday morning in Moussoro, 300 km from the capital N'Djamena, in the absence of defense lawyers, who boycotted the hearing.
Seven gas stations of the French oil group Total were vandalized on May 14 and 12 police officers injured during this protest march, authorized by the authorities, against France, a former colonial power accused of supporting the ruling junta, and its military presence .
The six opposition leaders are Max Loalngar (coordinator of Wakit Tamma, the main opposition coalition), Gounoung Vaima Gan-Fare, (general secretary of the Union of Trade Unions of Chad), Youssouf Korom Ahmat (general secretary from the Trades Union of Chadian Suppliers), Massar Hissene Massar (president of the Rally of Civil Society Executives), Koudé Mbainassem (president of the Association for Freedom of Expression) and Allamine Adoudou Khatir, former ambassador.
“
We are going to appeal, a suspended sentence is still a sentence
,” Laguerre Ndjarandi, a lawyer for Wakit Tamma, told AFP.
"
Justice has been lenient, it's not a bad thing to appease the climate
," for his part, Abderaman Koulamallah, the Minister of Communication, told AFP.
