In Chad, a new presidential pardon for the 11 people, 10 officers, and 1 civilian accused of having wanted to foment a “coup” which was foiled in December according to the Chadian authorities. They were sentenced last week to 20 years in prison and have just been pardoned by transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno. Among them, Baradine Berdeï Targuio, president of the Chadian Human Rights Organization (OTDH).
This release is not a surprise, because the president of the transition had promised it on April 21st on the occasion of Eid el-Fitr. But it is yet another pardon for Baradine Berdeï Targuio, who had been sentenced and pardoned several times under Marshal Idriss Déby Itno.
A longtime opponent of the Déby family, he had been imprisoned this time since December 2022 with ten other people, soldiers for a “coup” foiled in December, according to the authorities.
He had been sentenced at the mobile court from May 8th to 10th, for undermining the constitutional order, illegal possession of weapons of war, and criminal association. Baradine Berdeï Targuio and his lawyers refused to appeal.
It should be noted that apart from the president of the Chadian Organization for Human Rights (OTDH) and his companions, more than 300 demonstrators of last October 20th, have also benefited from a presidential pardon in the past months. But some like those of Moundou in the south of the country continue to languish in prisons. The latter began a hunger strike on Monday, May 22nd to draw attention to their case.