A court in Guinea on Wednesday sentenced former military ruler Moussa Dadis Camara to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of crimes against humanity. The charges relate to the 2009 massacre of more than 150 people during a pro-democracy rally in the capital, Conakry.
More than 100 survivors and relatives of victims testified in the trial, which began in November 2022, over a decade after the massacre. This trial was conducted under significant pressure from families and activists demanding justice.
The court reclassified the charges, which included murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping, as crimes against humanity. In this high-profile trial, seven other accused military commanders were also found guilty of the same crimes, while four others were acquitted.
Camara seized power in a 2008 coup following the death of long-time President Lansana Conté. Demonstrators at the stadium were protesting against his plans to stand in the presidential elections the following year when soldiers opened fire on them. The junta initially claimed that “uncontrolled” elements of the army had carried out the rapes and killings. However, a Human Rights Watch report found that Camara’s top aides were present at the venue and did nothing to stop the massacre. Survivors reported that many could not escape the gunfire as Camara’s presidential guard had surrounded the stadium and blocked the exits.
Camara fled the country after surviving an assassination attempt not long after the massacre, but returned from exile in September 2022 to face justice, maintaining his innocence. Late last year, while in jail, Camara was released by gunmen who stormed the country’s main prison. He was back in custody hours later, with his lawyer claiming he had been kidnapped.
Amnesty International has praised the “historic verdict as an example to the world and to Guinea, where the illegal use of firearms and excessive use of force during demonstrations remains commonplace.”
