Habre begins sentence appeal

DAKAR // Lawyers acting for Chad’s former president Hissene Habre began an appeal yesterday against his life sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity after a conviction hailed as a landmark for Africa.

The Extraordinary African Chambers, a body created by Senegal and the African Union, sentenced Habre in May to life behind bars, an unprecedented ruling that dealt a blow to the impunity long enjoyed by repressive rulers. Habre, 74, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, refuses to rec- ognise the court’s authority but his court-appointed lawyers requested an appeal on his behalf.

The president of the appeal court, Wafi Ougadeye, said its deliberations would continue without Habre’s presence after a defence team request. Mr Ougadeye said Habre had replied to a letter from the court saying he did not recognise its authority and therefore “was not able to receive any document issued by it”.

The hearing was expected to last several days, with the final decision expected by April 30.

One of Habre’s most high-profile victims, Souleymane Guen- gueng, said he had “no doubt the judgment will be upheld”.

“One cannot violate international law with impunity,” said Mr Guengueng, who spent two years in detention in the hands of Habre’s notorious Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS), Chad’s secret police.

If his conviction is upheld, Habre will serve his sentence in Senegal or in another African Union country.

In July, Habre was also ordered to pay up to € 30,000 (Dh116,000) to each victim who suffered during his rule.