Chad’s Former Prime Minister Appeals to Macron After Two Months in Pre-Trial Detention

Chad’s opposition leader Succès Masra, held in pre-trial detention for two months over accusations of involvement in a 2025 massacre, denies the charges and calls them politically motivated. His lawyers accuse the government of pressuring the judiciary and have appealed to French President Macron for international intervention, citing bias and violations of Masra’s rights.

Chad’s former Prime Minister and opposition figure, Succès Masra, has called on French President Emmanuel Macron for assistance following two months spent in pre-trial detention. Masra’s legal representatives have formally written to Macron, urging him to break his silence and intervene in what they describe as a politically motivated legal case. The legal team accuses Macron of inaction and is appealing for his mediation to help secure Masra’s release.

Masra stands accused of orchestrating the killing of 42 herders in Mandakao, a town in southern Chad, in May 2025. He has strongly denied any involvement, describing the allegations as unfounded and driven by political motives.

As reported by Radio France Internationale, Masra’s lawyers claim that the investigating judge was pressured by senior Chadian government officials into authorizing his detention. They maintain that the prosecution’s case rests solely on a 2023 audio recording in which Masra urges southern communities to protect themselves—a statement made well before the May 2025 incident.

The legal team argues that the case represents a serious breach of Masra’s fundamental rights and reflects systemic bias within Chad’s judiciary against the country’s leading opposition leader. Masra, who heads the Transformers party, has been a long-standing and outspoken critic of Chad’s ruling elite. With domestic legal avenues exhausted, his lawyers are turning to the international community for support—urging President Macron to take a stand in defense of justice and due process.