In Chad, the sentencing of eight opposition leaders from the GCAP coalition to eight years in prison on May 8, 2026, has sparked widespread outrage among political figures. The verdict has intensified debates about the state of democratic liberties and the rule of law in the country.
While some opposition members express limited surprise at the outcome, many view it as yet another sign of the government’s tightening grip on dissent. The judicial decision has raised serious questions about the fairness of legal proceedings and the independence of Chad’s judiciary.
Alifa Younous Mahamat, Europe coordinator for the Parti socialiste sans frontière (PSF), argues that the trial lacked the fundamental guarantees of a fair process. He asserts that this conviction is part of a broader pattern aimed at silencing critics and suppressing political opposition. The political figure points to recent events that have shaken Chad’s opposition movement, including the imprisonment of Succès Masra, the stripping of citizenship from exiled activists, and the 2024 military operation against the PSF headquarters that resulted in the death of its leader, Yaya Dillo. Additionally, the party’s secretary-general, Robert Gam, was detained in secret for months before fleeing the country.
Mahamat contends that Chad’s justice system is increasingly being weaponized to target opponents and stifle democratic change.
Parliamentary opposition under siege
Albert Pahimi Padacké, leader of the Rassemblement national des démocrates tchadiens (RNDT) and a former Prime Minister, shares similar concerns. He describes the conviction as part of a systematic strategy by the ruling Mouvement patriotique du salut (MPS) to marginalize political rivals since the adoption of the Fifth Republic’s constitution.
Padacké warns that this aggressive approach reveals the regime’s political fragility while fostering an atmosphere of fear within opposition circles. He admits to personally worrying about the possibility of arbitrary arrests or legal harassment. The cumulative effect of these measures, according to many observers, is a steady erosion of political freedoms in Chad, where dissent is increasingly met with repression.
