Guinea’s Former President Found Guilty of Crimes Against Humanity
The former president of the West African nation of Guinea, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, was found guilty on Wednesday of crimes against humanity for overseeing a massacre in a stadium and mass rape of pro-democracy demonstrators 15 years ago. The verdict was a landmark decision long awaited by survivors and relatives of the 150 people who were killed.
The trial of Captain Camara and 11 others, including the former head of the presidential guard, government ministers, and security officials, was seen as a significant step in holding military rulers accountable in the region. The trial was televised in Guinea and followed closely by many of the country’s 14 million citizens.
Captain Camara was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Lieutenant Aboubacar Diakité, the former head of the presidential guard, received a 10-year sentence. The judge found six other defendants guilty and acquitted four, including a former health minister.
“Moussa Dadis Camara should be declared guilty of crimes against humanity on the basis of command responsibility,” said Ibrahima Sory II Tounkara, the judge presiding over the trial held in a specially constructed courtroom in the capital, Conakry.
The massacre took place on Sept. 28, 2009, when pro-democracy protesters gathered in a stadium in Conakry to rally against Captain Camara, who had seized power in a coup. Security forces entered the stadium and opened fire on the demonstrators, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of individuals. Additionally, at least 109 women were raped or sexually assaulted, some using batons and bayonets, as reported by witnesses and a 2009 United Nations investigation.
The aftermath of the massacre saw bodies scattered across the stadium’s field, gates, walls, and locker rooms. Security forces attempted to conceal the massacre by burying bodies in mass graves and sealing off the stadium. Human Rights Watch stated that the actions on and after Sept. 28 were premeditated, organized, and constituted crimes against humanity.
