Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed of the assassination attempt against Baldal Oyamta, national coordinator of the Chadian League for Human Rights (LTDH), an NGO defending and promoting human rights, working for good governance in Chad, Africa, and around the world. LTDH is a member organisation of both FIDH and OMCT.
On 11 April 2022, at 3 a.m., an individual armed with a pistol and a knife entered Baldal Oyamta’s home in N’Djamena and shot him in the face at close range. Baldal Oyamta was wounded in the forehead, but without a serious skull wound, and was treated at the clinic. The shooter, a former soldier, fled, but was found the next day by local youths who handed him over to the police. He was placed under a detention order in Klessoum prison pending investigation of his case.
The Observatory recalls that Baldal Oyamta has been the subject of death threats in the past. In November 2020, in the space of two weeks, he received 23 text messages threatening him in relation to his professional activities as a human rights defender, and more particularly his work on land grabbing in Chad. Despite a complaint being filed against X, no investigation has been opened into these threats.
The Observatory denounces this assassination attempt against Mr Oyamta and calls on the Chadian authorities to guarantee his physical and psychological integrity, and that of his family, and to carry out a prompt, exhaustive, impartial, and transparent investigation to identify those responsible for this assassination attempt and to sanction them in accordance with the law.
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities of Chad to urge them to:
– guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological well-being of Baldal Oyamta, his family, and all human rights defenders in Chad;
– conduct a prompt, thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation to identify those responsible for the above-mentioned attempted assassination and death threats and punish them in accordance with the law.
Addresses:
– Mr Mahamat Ahmat Alhabo, Lord Chancellor, Minister of Justice, in charge of human rights, Email: contact@minjustchad.org
– Mr Acheick Ibn Oumar, Minister of Reconciliation and Dialogue, Twitter: @Acheikh
– Permanent Mission of the Republic of Chad to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Netherlands, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and Permanent Representation to the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group, Belgium, Email: contact@ambassadedutchad.be
Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Chad in your respective countries.
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Paris-Geneva, May 5, 2022
Please inform the Observatory of all actions undertaken by indicating the code of this call.
The Observatory, a partnership between FIDH and OMCT, aims to protect human rights defenders who are victims of violations and to provide them with the most concrete assistance possible. FIDH and OMCT are members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union mechanism for human rights defenders implemented by international civil society.
To contact the Observatory, call the hotline:
– E-mail : Appeals@fidh-omct.org
– Tel FIDH : +33 1 43 55 25 18
– Tel. OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39