Concerns are growing over the health and legal rights of Chadian opposition leader and former Prime Minister Dr. Succès Masra, who has been detained for more than 40 days following contested May elections. His legal team reports that Masra began a hunger strike on Wednesday to protest what they describe as politically motivated charges and violations of due process.
In a letter titled “Letter from a Chadian Prison,” dated June 24, Masra denounced his detention as “unjust and illegal,” citing irregularities including lack of access to legal counsel, failure to present formal charges in court, and denial of medical care. Masra, who served briefly as prime minister under transitional president Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno before resigning to contest the 2024 presidential election, was arrested shortly after the vote, which he alleges was rigged in favor of the ruling party.
His lawyers, part of the Collectif des Avocats pour la Défense de Succès Masra, are calling on the international community, including the African Union and the United Nations, to intervene. They warn that his health is rapidly declining due to the hunger strike and that his life may be at risk if urgent action is not taken. Human rights organizations have echoed these calls, describing Masra’s case as emblematic of Chad’s growing crackdown on dissent and civic freedoms since the 2021 death of former President Idriss Déby.
