A judge in Senegal has granted Chad’s former President Hissene Habre two months’ leave from prison, where he is serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity, as the jail is being used to hold new detainees in coronavirus quarantine. His lawyer Mamadou Diawara had requested 60 days’ leave for Habre as, due to his age, he was “particularly vulnerable” to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the judge’s order. Judge Boubacar Ndiaye noted that the Cap Manuel prison has been selected by the Senegalese authorities to hold newly arrested detainees in solitary confinement while they are in quarantine to avoid possible spread of COVID-19 in the jail. He granted a 60-day leave to Habre, to be served at his home in Ouakam, a district of Dakar, and ordered him to return to prison on its expiry. An association of victims of his regime last week said, “The health crisis should not be used as an excuse for the early release of Hissene Habre.” Senegal has registered more than 226 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
More Stories
Lebo M on 25 Years of The Lion King on Broadway
Mountain House Makes the Most of Its Spectacular Site
A Tribute to Black Artists Could Signal a Change for Museums
7 Young African Women Dominating the Turntables
Meet the Founders of Kitchens of Africa
Seychelles Shines Again at the World Travel Awards
Planning to Honeymoon in the African Bush?
For the Ultimate Trip, these are the Best Hotels in Marrakech
Ghana is also a Great Destination for Keen Walkers
17 Regional Countries have Increased their Travel and Tourism Development Index
What are the Benefits and Costs of Scaling-up the Commercial Production of Bioenergy in Africa?
Faculty of Harvard University and Africa.com Offer Online Course for Entrepreneurs in Food Systems