Chad’s opposition leader Dr. Succès Masra who has been detained since May 16th appeared before an investigative judge on Monday for a substantive hearing.
It is in connection with a legal case his party deems politically motivated.
His legal team and political allies are demanding his immediate release.
Masra, who heads the opposition Les Transformateurs party, was questioned in N’Djamena regarding his alleged role in violent unrest that erupted in Mandakao, southern Chad.
The former transitional prime minister has been held in pre-trial detention since his early morning arrest at his residence in Gassi, the Chadian capital.
The prosecution accuses Masra of inciting unrest that led to the deaths of around 40 people. A key piece of evidence cited by the authorities is an audio recording from May 2023 in which Masra allegedly urges citizens to arm themselves for protection against terrorist groups.
No statement was issued by Masra’s lawyers following the closed-door hearing, with the defense team deeming the timing inappropriate.
This latest development comes amid growing concerns from Les Transformateurs, who allege that the judicial process is being manipulated by President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno’s administration to sideline a powerful political rival.
In a statement issued in late May, the party denounced what it described as the “instrumentalisation of justice” and claimed the charges are based on illegally obtained mobile phone data seized during a search for which a warrant was not issued.
Masra’s lawyers argue the charges stem from a “long-orchestrated plot.” They contend the audio at the heart of the case had already been used in a 2023 international arrest warrant, later annulled following the signing of the Toumaï Agreement for Stability and Development. According to the defense, the current legal action was triggered by a complaint filed with the public prosecutor’s office on the same day as Masra’s arrest.
In response to what it sees as an authoritarian drift, Les Transformateurs calls for citizen mobilisation, urging Chadian civil society, international partners, and human rights groups to intervene.
The party warns that Masra’s continued detention poses a threat to national stability and the integrity of Chad’s democratic institutions.
CA/ac/lb/as/APA