Ndjamena: Chad's former Prime Minister and opposition leader, Succes Masra, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of disseminating racist and xenophobic messages that incited violence, his lawyer reported.

According to TRTworld.com, the special criminal chamber in Ndjamena convicted Masra of hate speech, xenophobia, and inciting a massacre. Francis Kadjilembaye, one of the defense lawyers, informed reporters about the conviction. Masra denied the charges during the trial.

Masra, a strong opponent of President Mahamat Idriss Deby, served as prime minister in Deby's interim government for about five months before contesting against him in a May 2024 election. The prosecution's investigation into Masra began in May, related to a clash in which dozens were killed in Mandakao.

The defense team, led by Kadjilembaye, announced plans to appeal the conviction. Masra was tried alongside 74 co-defendants, all accused of participating in the massacre. As the leader of Chad's main opposition party, Les Transformateurs (Transformers), Masra was arrested on May 16 following inter-communal violence in Logone Occidental province, which resulted in 42 deaths on May 14.

In a protest against his detention, Masra went on a hunger strike in July, ending it after nearly a week due to a protest by women demanding his release.