Chad: the COSADT calls for a return to the ICC and the release of political prisoners.

Gathered this weekend in N’Djamena, coalition leaders asked the head of state to take measures to ease tensions in a political context they consider marked by arbitrary arrests and impunity.

COSADT particularly seeks Chad’s return to the ICC. The Chadian government had announced its withdrawal from the international jurisdiction, criticizing it for having “variable geometry” in its justice. The details and timeline of this decision have not been specified in the available information.

The coalition also requests a presidential pardon for Succès Masra, former Prime Minister and leader of the party Les Transformateurs. He was sentenced on August 9, 2025, to twenty years in prison in the so-called Mandakao case for disseminating messages deemed hateful by the judiciary.

COSADT leaders further demand the release of several members of the GCAP. They have been sentenced to eight years in prison for conspiracy and disturbances to public order. The coalition believes these political leaders were imprisoned for exercising their political activities, a judgment that reflects its own stance.

The coalition denounces imprisonment without trial

Izadine Ahmat Tidjani, coordinator of COSADT, asserts that citizens are detained for several months without being presented to a judge. He refers to arrests he describes as “arbitrary” and denounces a situation that he believes has become almost daily.

“We have only the ICC as recourse,” he told RFI, urging the government to reconsider its decision. He also stated that Succès Masra and the members of GCAP could contribute to the political life of the country rather than remain in detention.

COSADT now considers a presidential pardon as the main means to secure the release of the concerned leaders. The Chadian authorities have not, in the available elements, announced any response to these requests.