The events of November 4 continue to disrupt the normal course of the trial for the massacres of September 28, 2009. Yesterday, the court session was brief due to the defense lawyers’ boycott. They claim to have lost access to their clients, including Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, since the attack on the central house in early November 2023. The public prosecutor of the Dixinn court is determined to find a solution to this impasse.
Since November 4, the day four defendants escaped during the trial for the September 28, 2009 massacres, the prison administration has restricted access to the accused, including Moussa Dadis Camara, the junta leader at the time of the events.
Their lawyers no longer have access to their clients and cannot prepare for the hearings, explains lawyer Almamy Samory Traoré: “The defense lawyers’ collective has decided to suspend our participation in this trial until the most basic rights are respected.”
Legitimate Concerns
In criminal matters, lawyers must have continuous access to their clients, emphasizing the legitimacy of the defense’s boycott, according to lawyers for the civil parties. For Bernard Saa Dissi Millimouno, a lawyer for the civil parties, “If our colleagues from the defense say they do not have access to their clients to allow them to prepare for the hearings calmly, Mr. President, we understand the position of our colleagues from the defense.”
On the other hand, the public prosecutor of the Dixinn court is determined to find a solution to ensure the smooth running of the hearings. “Considering that the right to defense is sacred, Mr. President,” says prosecutor Alghassimou Diallo, “on the side of the prosecution, we will ensure that the lawyers representing the defense of the accused have access to their clients from today.” If everything is resolved, the hearings will resume this Tuesday, much to the satisfaction of the victims of the September 28 massacres.