Chad’s former dictator granted leave from prison

The former ruler of Chad Hissène Habre has been granted two months leave from a prison in Senegal, where he is serving life for crimes against humanity. 

The prison is reportedly being used as a quarantine facility for those infected with the coronavirus. Habre’s lawyer requested a 60 day leave for the former dictator because he was “particularly vulnerable” to the virus. 

Habre was convicted of crimes against humanity in 2016 and sentenced to life in prison at a climactic trial in Senegal. His charges included rape, sexual slavery and ordering killings during his rule from 1982 to 1990. He denied accusations that he had ordered the murder of 40,000 of his own people.

The trial marked the first time an African Union-backed court prosecuted a former ruler for human rights abuses. 

Habre will serve the temporary leave at his home in Ouakam, a district of Senegal’s capital Dakar, and will be returned to prison thereafter. 

Photo: Getty Images