Four human rights defenders sentenced and released
On 20 May 2022, human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, Youssouf Korom Ahmat, Koude Mbainaissem, and Max Loalngar were transferred to Mossoro prison from Klessom prison in N’Djamena, where they had been detained for about a week. Mossoro is a city located in northern Chad. The four human rights defenders began a hunger strike on 20 May 2022, to denounce the unlawful nature of their transfer to Mossoro prison, 300 km from N’Djamena, making access to their families and lawyers difficult.
On 14 May 2022, several protesters were arrested during a peaceful protest organized by the citizen movement, WAKIT TAMA. The peaceful protests denounced human rights violations, lack of consultation and inclusion of human rights defenders in the transition and French military presence in the country. Among those arrested were human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, secretary general of the Union des Syndicats du Tchad; Youssouf Korom Ahmat, secretary general of the Syndicat des commercants fournisseurs du Tchad, and; Koude Mbainaissem, a lawyer and president of Association Tchadienne pour la Libre Parole à la Jeunesse (ATLPJ). They were presented before the N’Djamena Court of First Instance on 16 May 2022 and the hearing is scheduled for 6 June 2022. They are currently being detained at the Mossoro prison.
On 6 June 2022, human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, Youssouf Korom Ahmat, Koude Mbainaissem, and Max Loalngar, were given a 12 month suspended prison sentence and fined CFA 10 million (approximately EUR 15,250) during their hearing. The human rights defenders were not granted the right to speak during their trial and their lawyers denounced several irregularities during the judicial process. The human rights defenders were all released during the same night and have ten days to file an appeal of their sentence.
On 14 May 2022, several protesters were arrested during a peaceful protest organized by the citizen movement, WAKIT TAMA. The peaceful protests denounced human rights violations, lack of consultation and inclusion of human rights defenders in the transition and French military presence in the country. Among those arrested were, Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, secretary general of the Union des Syndicats du Tchad; Youssouf Korom Ahmat, Secretary General of the Syndicat des Commercants Fournisseurs du Tchad, and; Koude Mbainaissem, a lawyer and President of the Association for Freedom of Expression. They were presented before the N’Djamena court of first instance on 16 May 2022 and the hearing was scheduled for 6 June 2022. They were detained at the Moussoro prison in Moussoro.
On 17 May 2022, human rights defender Max Loalngar, human rights defender, lawyer and coordinator of the citizen movement WAKIT TAMA, was abducted at his mother’s house by unknown men in two vehicles with tinted windows, following a summons from the judicial police. According to local sources, the human rights defender was incommunicado detained at the General Intelligence Services. The bar association started a peaceful strike on 17 May 2022 to protest against the detention of the human rights defender. On 19 May 2022, Max Loalngar was transferred from the General Intelligence Services to Klessom prison, where the other human rights defenders were being held.
On 20 May 2022, the four human rights defenders were transferred to Moussoro prison in northern Chad from the Klessom prison in N’Djamena where they had been detained. This prison has a record of poor holding conditions including overcrowded cells and lack of food for detained peoples, as recorded by the Convertion Tchadienne pour la Défense des Droits Humains (CTDDH) in 2018 and as reported by FIDH in 2012. The four defenders still have not been officially charged with any crimes, despite their continued detention.
On 6 June 2022, human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, Youssouf Korom Ahmat, Koude Mbainaissem, and Max Loalngar, were given a 12-month suspended prison sentence and fined 10 million CFA (approximately 15,250 euros) during their hearing. The human rights defenders were not granted the right to speak during their trial and their lawyers denounced several irregularities during the judicial process. The human rights defenders were all released during the same night and have ten days to file an appeal of their sentence.
Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, Youssouf Korom Ahmat, Koude Mbainaissem, and Max Loalngar; and emphasizes that they should not have been arrested in the first place. The organization remains concerned over the increased targetting and repression of human rights defenders in Chad in the course of the current military transition and calls Chadian authorities to ensure that human rights defenders are not subjected to reprisals for their legitimate and peaceful human rights work.
On 20 May 2022, human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, Youssouf Korom Ahmat, Koude Mbainaissem, and Max Loalngar were transferred to Mossoro prison from Klessom prison in N’Djamena, where they had been detained for about a week. Mossoro is a city located in northern Chad. The four human rights defenders began a hunger strike on 20 May 2022, to denounce the unlawful nature of their transfer to Mossoro prison, 300 km from N’Djamena, making access to their families and lawyers difficult.
On 14 May 2022, several protesters were arrested during a peaceful protest organized by the citizen movement, WAKIT TAMA. The peaceful protests denounced human rights violations, lack of consultation and inclusion of human rights defenders in the transition and French military presence in the country. Among those arrested were human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, secretary general of the Union des Syndicats du Tchad; Youssouf Korom Ahmat, secretary general of the Syndicat des commercants fournisseurs du Tchad, and; Koude Mbainaissem, a lawyer and president of Association Tchadienne pour la Libre Parole à la Jeunesse (ATLPJ). They were presented before the N’Djamena Court of First Instance on 16 May 2022 and the hearing is scheduled for 6 June 2022. They are currently being detained at the Mossoro prison.
On 17 May 2022, human rights defender, lawyer and coordinator of the citizen movement WAKIT TAMA, Max Loalngar, was abducted from his mother’s house by unknown men in two vehicles with tinted windows, following a summons from the judicial police. No trial date has been scheduled to date, and Max Loalngar has no access to his family. The bar association began a peaceful strike on 17 May 2022 to protest against the detention of the human rights defender. On 19 May 2022, Max Loalngar was transferred from General Intelligence Services to Klessom prison, where the other human rights defenders were being held.
On 20 May 2022, human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, Youssouf Korom Ahmat, Koude Mbainaissem, and Max Loalngar were transferred to Mossoro prison in northern Chad from Klessom prison in N’Djamena, where they had been detained for about a week. As reported by the Convention Tchadienne pour la Défense des Droits Humains (CTDDH) in 2018 and by FIDH in 2012, Mossoro prison has a record of poor holding conditions, including overcrowded cells and a lack of food for detainees. The four human rights defenders still haven’t been officially charged with any crimes, despite their ongoing detention. It is unclear whether the hearing scheduled for 6 June 2022 will be held. Furthermore, Front Line Defenders is unable to ascertain the holding conditions of the human rights defenders.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned by the ongoing and unlawful detention of human rights defenders Gounoung Vaima Gan Fare, Youssouf Korom Ahmat, Koude Mbainaissem and Max Loalngar, as it believes that they are being targeted solely as a result of their legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights. Furthermore, it is concerned by the unlawful transfer of the four human rights defenders, which impacts their access to their families and lawyers.
