Muthomi Ireri
Lawyers for Guinea’s former military leader, Moussa Dadis Camara, announced on Thursday that he will appeal his conviction for crimes against humanity handed down the previous day.
Camara was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the 2009 massacre where over 150 people were killed during a pro-democracy rally in Conakry. Demonstrators at the stadium were protesting Camara’s intention to run for president when soldiers opened fire on them. He had seized power in a coup the year before.
After surviving an assassination attempt shortly after the massacre, Camara fled the country but returned from exile in September 2022 to face trial, maintaining his innocence. Late last year, Camara was briefly freed by gunmen who stormed the country’s main prison but was re-arrested hours later, with his lawyer claiming he had been kidnapped.
The trial, which began in November 2022, saw testimonies from over 100 survivors and relatives of victims. Just before sentencing, the court reclassified the charges, including murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping, as crimes against humanity.
Camara’s lawyers stated that during the nearly two-year trial, he had not been given the opportunity to adequately address the charges constituting crimes against humanity.
Dj Vnyash
Silverio Omari
