Chad
Mahamat N. [CASE DISMISSED]
Type of liability
Personne physique
Alleged perpetrator(s)
Mahamat N.
Nationality of alleged perpetrator(s)
Chadian
Legal classification of crime(s)
Crimes against humanity
Criminal conspiracy (crimes against humanity)
Source of the complaint
Report under Article 40 CCP
Ongoing proceedings
oui
Regime
3 - 689-11 CPP
Summary of facts
Mahamat N. is a Chadian politician. He served, among other things, as Minister of the Interior in Hissène Habré’s government in 1978 and as a member of Idriss Déby’s government between 1995 and 2004.
In 2006, he joined the armed opposition against Déby, the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD). He became the leader of the most powerful Chadian rebel group.
In this context, he allegedly launched a series of attacks on government positions in eastern Chad in the fall of 2006.
After the failure of a series of talks held in Libya in 2007, Mahamat N. allegedly coordinated an attack on the Chadian capital with two other rebel groups in February 2008. He was reportedly pushed back by the army, with the support of the French army, after days of fierce fighting.
Two years later, Mahamat N. and two other rebel leaders were expelled from Sudan. Mahamat N.’s UFDD rebel group subsequently established itself in southern Libya, on the border with Chad. Mahamat N. was expelled from Libya to Qatar in 2010, before leaving for France a year later.
Amnesty International France recalls that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law.
Legal proceedings
January 18, 2017: The French authorities freeze his financial assets for six months.<br />
May 10, 2017: On the basis of a report by OFPRA linked to the Abakar T. case, an investigation is opened into crimes allegedly committed by Mahamat N. in Sudan and Chad between 2005 and 2010.<br />
January 3, 2019: The prosecutor of the Tripoli court, in Libya, issues an international arrest warrant against Mahamat N. and 23 other Chadians for their alleged involvement in attacks carried out in eastern and southern Libya.<br />
June 17, 2019: French police arrest Mahamat N. and two other persons suspected of “crimes against humanity.”<br />
June 21, 2019: Mahamat N. is indicted for “crimes against humanity” and “participation in a conspiracy to prepare a crime against humanity.” He is suspected of having ordered the recruitment of fighters, including child soldiers, between 2005 and 2010 in Chad and Sudan. He is placed in pre-trial detention.<br />
March 27, 2020: Mahamat N. is released on health grounds owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and placed under judicial supervision.<br />
In February 2023: The Public Prosecutor’s Office requests a dismissal.<br />
November 15, 2024: A dismissal order is issued.</p>
Complaint
Legal basis for jurisdiction (article)
Sources
RFI, "Tchad: Mahamat Nouri mis en examen pour crimes contre l'humanité", 2019
Trial International, "Universal Jurisdiction Annual Review 2021"