24 persons were accused of being the perpetrators of the massacre which occurred in Maibogo, in the south of Chad, on March 21st, 2004, during which 21 farmers were killed, 10 others injured and several hundred heads of cattle stolen. Their trial, which the FIDH has observed through a gathering of lawyers constituted for the defence of the victims, was supposed to open on July 19 and was postponed to July 28. Three days later, 5 persons were acquitted and 19 sentenced to death for « premeditated murders » and « armed robberies ».
The FIDH, the LTDH and the ATPDH vigorously condemn the resort to death sentence by the Chadian jurisdiction and emphasize the speed of the trial which only last three days for 24 accused. The FIDH, the LTDH and the ATPDH are all the more concerned that this sentence occurs after the execution of 8 persons in November 2003, first executions in Chad since 1991. Moreover, the FIDH, the LTDH and the ATPDH recall that they had already expressed their deepest concern about the possible implementation of death penalty to the accused of this trial (see press release dated July 16 2004).
The FIDH, the LTDH and the ATPDH recall that death penalty is fundamentally contrary to the dignity of human being provided by the Universal Declaration on Human rights and that its abolition is provided for in various international instruments notably by the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The FIDH, the LTDH and the ATPDH urge the Chadian government to:
– Not execute the 19 persons sentenced to death;
– Adopt a moratorium on executions, aiming at the abolition of death penalty;
– Ratify the second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which provides for the abolition of death penalty.