The former President of Chad, Hissene Habre, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, and is currently serving life sentence for crimes against humanity has been granted two months’ leave from Senegal jail. The leave is on the basis that the jail is being used to hold new detainees in corona virus quarantine.

In 2016, Hissene was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at a trial backed by the African Union, in Dakar, Senegal. According to the Chadian commissioner of inquiry, about 40,000 people were killed during Hissene’s regime.

Prior to his conviction, Hissene moved to Senegal and lived freely for over 20 years in an upmarket Dakar suburb with his wife and children after he was overthrown. In 2013, he got arrested and tried by a special tribunal set up by the African Union under a deal with Senegal.

His trial was the first time a country would prosecute the leader of another state on the basis of rights abuse. This set a global precedent and was seen as a significant example of rights abuse being tried in Africa.

He has since been serving his sentence in a penal establishment in Cap Manuel, at the tip of the peninsula in Dakar.

Hissene’s lawyer, Mamadou Diawara, had requested 60 days’ leave for him on the basis of his age as he is very vulnerable to the pandemic seeing that the jail is being used to hold new detainees in corona virus quarantine.

According to the judge, Boubacar Ndiaye, the Senegalese authorities had selected the Cap Manuel prison to hold newly arrested detainees in solitary confinement while they are in quarantine to avoid possible spread of COVID-19 in the jail. Hence, he granted Hissene a 60-day leave to be served at his home in Ouakam, a district of Dakar, and he is expected to return to prison immediately the leave duration ends.

However, an association of victims of Hissene’s regime last week said, “The health crisis should not be used as an excuse for the early release of Hissene Habre.”

Senegal has currently registered 226 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths.