Following the sentencing of eight Chadian opposition leaders to eight years in prison, Alifa Younous Mahamat, coordinator of the PSF, has condemned what he describes as a deliberate strategy by the Mahamat Idriss Déby regime to silence political dissent in the country.

Listen to Alifa Younous Mahamat’s statement

political justice weaponized against opposition

Eight leaders from opposition parties within the Groupe de Concertation des Acteurs Politiques (GCAP), a coalition opposing the Chadian government, were handed eight-year prison sentences in N’Djamena. Alifa Younous Mahamat has firmly condemned these arbitrary arrests and convictions, stating: “This case underscores Chad’s dangerous slide into dictatorship, where fear and repression enforce a single, unchallenged narrative.”

The opposition figures were detained just days before a planned protest march that authorities had banned.

systematic suppression of dissent in Chad

For the PSF leader, these convictions are part of a broader campaign to neutralize credible opposition voices. “Every dissenting voice is systematically and ruthlessly crushed,” he asserts, describing a political environment that grows increasingly repressive by the day. In his view, fundamental freedoms in Chad are now severely restricted: “Opposition parties face impossible barriers to exercising free speech, organizing, or even meeting.”

This latest crackdown follows the 20-year prison sentence handed to Succès Masra, a prominent opposition leader and former prime minister, nearly a year ago.

diaspora’s role in amplifying opposition voices

From exile in France and Europe, the Chadian diaspora is working to keep international attention focused on the crisis at home. “We give voice to those who cannot speak out,” says Alifa Younous Mahamat, who is actively engaging with international institutions and human rights organizations. “We urgently call on the global community to take a firm stand.”

french political engagement against chadian repression

The PSF coordinator has also met with French lawmakers to raise awareness of the situation in Chad. “We’ve held discussions with members of the French National Assembly and Senate,” he explains, noting meetings with officials from La France Insoumise, including its leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon. For the exiled opposition, international mobilization has become a critical tool in resisting the hardening stance of Mahamat Idriss Déby’s government.