One Year on Since Arrest of Opposition Leader in Chad

Succès Masra, the president of the opposition party Les Transformateurs and a former prime minister, remains imprisoned one year after his arrest by Chadian authorities.

Masra was arrested at his residence in N’Djamena on May 16, 2025. He was accused of inciting hatred and violence through social media posts following intercommunal clashes in Logone Occidental province on May 14, 2025, which resulted in dozens of deaths.

Following the killings in Logone Occidental, Masra used social media to express condolences to the victims and stated that “no Chadian’s life should be taken for granted.”

In August 2025, a Chadian court convicted Masra on charges of inciting violence and complicity in murder. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Masra pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was tried alongside dozens of co-defendants, the majority of whom also received 20-year sentences. The court further imposed substantial fines on the defendants.

Lawyers for Masra filed an appeal immediately following the conviction. That appeal remains pending, and the Supreme Court is expected to hear the case.

The arrest of Masra follows a period of increased political tension and a narrowing of political space in Chad. During the May 2024 presidential elections, Masra ran against then-transitional President Mahamat Idriss Déby.

In the period leading up to the May 2024 vote, Masra and his supporters were subjected to arbitrary arrests and threats. One prominent opposition figure was killed during the run-up to the election, and no one was held accountable for the death.

Following the conclusion of the election, Masra alleged that the voting process had been rigged.

Security forces in Chad have a history of using excessive force against protesters. Demonstrations in 2021 and 2022 resulted in scores of people being killed or injured, and hundreds were arbitrarily detained, with some reporting ill-treatment.

More recent judicial actions against the opposition occurred on May 8, 2026, when eight opposition leaders were tried and sentenced to eight years in prison. They were convicted on charges of rebellion and insurrection after attempting to organize a pro-democracy protest that had been banned.

Regional organizations, including the Economic Community of Central African States, have been urged to press the Chadian government to restore political rights. This includes calling for compliance with the Kinshasa Accord, an agreement intended to guarantee safe political activity for opposition parties, including Les Transformateurs.