Madagascar Ex-Senate President Sentenced To 10 Years Over Deadly Protest Crackdown

Former Madagascar Senate president General Richard Ravalomanana has been sentenced to 10 years of hard labour after being convicted of complicity in murder and causing injuries during the violent suppression of youth-led protests in September and October 2025. The protests began over severe water and electricity shortages before developing into a broader movement against former President Andry Rajoelina, whose government eventually fell. Ravalomanana denies ordering the use of force, while his defence argues that there was no direct evidence linking him to the actions of security forces. His lawyer plans to appeal. The case has become a major test of accountability as Madagascar's new authorities attempt to move the country beyond its latest political crisis.

Madagascar's former Senate president, General Richard Ravalomanana, has been sentenced to 10 years of hard labour after being convicted over his alleged role in the violent suppression of youth-led protests that shook the country in 2025.
The criminal court in Antananarivo delivered the verdict on Tuesday, September 1, following a trial lasting several hours.
Ravalomanana, a retired gendarmerie general and close ally of former President Andry Rajoelina, was convicted of complicity in murder and voluntarily causing injuries in connection with the crackdown on demonstrators.
He has denied the accusations and his lawyer has announced an appeal, meaning the case is not necessarily at its final legal stage.

PROTESTS THAT BROUGHT DOWN A GOVERNMENT

The case goes back to September and October 2025, when young people took to the streets across Madagascar.
The demonstrations initially centred on persistent shortages of electricity and water. What began as anger over basic services soon developed into a much wider protest against the government of Rajoelina.
Security forces responded with force as demonstrations intensified.
The United Nations said at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured during the unrest, according to figures cited by local media.
The protests eventually contributed to a political crisis that ended with Rajoelina's removal from power and the emergence of a military-backed transitional administration headed by Colonel Michael Randrianirina.
For many young Malagasy protesters, the demonstrations became a symbol of frustration with poor public services, political leadership and the economic difficulties facing the country.

ACCUSED OF DIRECTING SECURITY FORCES

Prosecutors argued that Ravalomanana used his influence within the gendarmerie to encourage or direct security forces to use violence against protesters.
The former general had previously occupied senior positions within the security establishment and was a prominent figure in Rajoelina's government.
The prosecution's case therefore focused on whether his political and institutional influence contributed to the actions of security personnel during the demonstrations.
The court ultimately found him criminally responsible for his role in the violence.
DEFENCE SAYS THERE WAS NO DIRECT ORDER
Ravalomanana has strongly rejected the allegations.
During the trial, he argued that he was already serving as president of the Senate at the time of the protests and no longer had operational responsibility for the security forces.
His defence questioned whether prosecutors had produced a written or verbal order directly linking him to the alleged violence.
One important defence witness, former national police chief Dany Marius Rakotozanany, reportedly testified that Ravalomanana had not been part of the operational chain of command during the unrest and had not ordered police, gendarmes or soldiers to use force.
The defence has therefore maintained that the conviction was not supported by sufficient evidence and intends to challenge the ruling.

ANOTHER CHARGE WAS DISMISSED

The court also considered a separate allegation involving an alleged death threat dating back to 2019.
That charge was ultimately dismissed because the time limit for prosecution had expired.
The court's decision means that the 10-year sentence relates to the charges arising from the 2025 protests rather than the older allegation.

FROM SENATE PRESIDENT TO PRISONER

Ravalomanana's fall has been dramatic.
At the height of the political crisis, he was one of the most senior figures associated with the Rajoelina administration.
He was removed as Senate president in October 2025, shortly before the former president's removal from office.
He was later summoned by the gendarmerie in connection with the investigation. After failing to appear, he was arrested in December and subsequently held in pre-trial detention at a high-security prison outside Antananarivo.
His conviction now makes him one of the most prominent former officials to face serious criminal consequences following the change of power.

RAVALOMANANA CASE HAS DEEPER POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The verdict is about more than one former government official.
It comes as Madagascar's new authorities attempt to distance themselves from the previous administration and respond to demands for accountability over the deaths and injuries during the protests.
Supporters of the prosecution are likely to see the sentence as a sign that officials accused of abusing state power can be held responsible.
But the case could also become politically sensitive if opponents argue that the justice system is being used to punish members of the former government.
The appeal will therefore be closely watched for signs of whether the case survives further judicial scrutiny.

MADAGASCAR'S POLITICAL CYCLE OF CRISIS

Madagascar has a long history of political upheaval.
The country experienced a major political crisis in 2009 when Rajoelina, then an opposition leader, came to power after Marc Ravalomanana was forced from office.
That episode itself involved violent demonstrations and clashes between protesters and security forces.
More than 15 years later, Rajoelina's own administration was brought down following another wave of street protests, demonstrating how deeply political instability has remained embedded in Madagascar's modern history.
The latest crisis once again showed the ability of public anger over economic and social conditions to develop rapidly into a national political confrontation.

YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE CENTRE OF THE CRISIS

The 2025 demonstrations were largely driven by young people frustrated by conditions affecting their daily lives.
Water and electricity shortages may appear to be basic infrastructure problems, but for many families they became symbols of wider government failure.
When electricity supplies repeatedly fail, businesses struggle, students find it harder to study and families face additional costs.
Water shortages similarly affect hygiene, cooking and household life.
The protests therefore reflected more than a single policy dispute. They exposed a broader sense of frustration among a generation demanding better public services and greater accountability.

WHAT THE VERDICT MEANS FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT

The conviction presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Madagascar's transitional authorities.
A credible legal process could help provide accountability for victims and demonstrate that political influence does not place senior officials above the law.
But the authorities will also face pressure to ensure that prosecutions are conducted fairly and independently.
The strongest test will come through the appeal process and through whether other allegations involving officials from the former government are handled according to the same legal standards.

A COUNTRY STILL SEEKING STABILITY

Madagascar now faces the difficult task of moving beyond the political upheaval that began with the protests.
The country needs functioning institutions, reliable public services and political stability, while the new administration faces expectations that it will address the problems that brought thousands of young people onto the streets.
For the families of those who died during the demonstrations, however, political change alone may not be enough.
The conviction of a senior former official could be seen as an important step towards accountability, but the broader question remains whether Madagascar can break the cycle in which social hardship leads to mass protests, political confrontation and eventually changes in government.