On Friday, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno granted a presidential pardon to opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succès Masra, who had been sentenced in August 2025 to 20 years in prison for his alleged involvement in an ethnic massacre.
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The Chadian Presidency announced in a statement published on Facebook that two decrees were signed and published this morning: one granting presidential pardon to nine political figures facing legal trouble, and another partially reducing sentences for other convicts across the country.
The pardon also benefits the eight leaders of the Group of Political Actors (GCAP), the country’s main opposition platform, who were sentenced last May to eight years in prison each for insurrection, rebellion, and disturbing public order. These leaders were arrested in April after Chad’s Supreme Court dissolved their thirteen-party coalition following the organization of a demonstration.
According to the official statement, Masra personally requested a pardon. The second presidential decree allows all detainees, except in certain cases (terrorism, rape, drug trafficking), to benefit from a partial reduction of their sentences.
“A new wave of African withdrawals has swept through the International Criminal Court. Chad turned its back on the court after three junta-led states in the Sahel exited. But most African countries still trust The Hague.”
https://t.co/VZHBiwvRmZ— Wayamo Foundation (@WayamoFound) August 13, 2026
Legal and Political Context
In August 2025, the Court of Appeals in N’Djamena convicted Masra, 42, of disseminating racist and xenophobic messages, illicit association, and complicity in murder.
The court also ordered the opposition leader and dozens of co-defendants to pay 1 billion CFA francs, equivalent to more than €1.5 million, to the Chadian state as compensation. Masra was arrested in May 2025 after publicly urging the president to change course so that the change desired by the people could become a reality.
Déby Itno was elected with an absolute majority in the May 2024 presidential elections, which marked the end of a three-year period of political transition and in which Masra was his main rival.
The Chadian courts rejected appeals against the election results filed by three candidates, including Masra, who had even declared himself the winner.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Africa: Sudanese refugees in Chad face dire living conditions as United States President Donald Trump’s administration has slashed key foreign aid and withdrawn funding from United Nations programs for the refugees. pic.twitter.com/vLG9FGWPNw
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