Amnesty International urges Senegalese authorities not to deport former Chad leader

Amnesty International urges Senegalese authorities not to deport former Chad leader

2011-07-10 01:11:12 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- Amnesty International on Saturday urged the Senegalese authorities not to return former Chadian president Hissène Habré to Chad, where he faces the death penalty.

Senegalese officials have said the former leader, who fled to Senegal after being forced from power in 1990, will be returned on Monday. He was sentenced to death in his absence in August 2008 for allegedly ordering the killing and torture of his opponents during his rule.

"The Senegalese authorities must not send Hissène Habré back to Chad where he faces the death penalty, the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and where he will not receive a fair trial," said Erwin van der Borght, Africa Director at Amnesty International.

He added that an unfair trial "will not bring real justice to the thousands who suffered human rights violations during his rule."

The Senegalese government has consistently avoided bringing Hissène Habré to justice despite its legal obligations and repeated calls by the African Union.

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