(Brussels) – A Guinean court on July 31, 2024, convicted Guinea’s former self-declared president Moussa Dadis Camara, and seven others, in a landmark trial for rapes and killings of protesters in 2009, Human Rights Watch said today. The court also decided to reclassify all of the charges from ordinary crimes to crimes against humanity, based on a request by the prosecution. This is the first time crimes against humanity have been prosecuted in Guinea.
This trial for a massive attack on peaceful protesters in a stadium in the capital, Conakry, is the first of its kind involving human rights violations on this scale in Guinea and has captured the nation’s attention. The judges found Moussa Dadis Camara, Aboubacar Diakité (Toumba), and Moussa Tiégboro Camara (Tiégboro) guilty under the principle of command responsibility for the crimes against humanity of murder, kidnapping, sexual violence, and torture, among others, and sentenced both Dadis Camara and Tiégboro to 20 years in prison, and Toumba to 10 years.
“This verdict offers long-awaited justice for victims and survivors nearly 15 years after the brutal abuses of the 2009 stadium massacre, the effects of which continue to haunt them,” said Tamara Aburamadan, international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch. “The verdict sends a message loud and clear to those responsible for serious crimes in Guinea and elsewhere that justice is possible, and the trial should yield lessons to prompt national justice efforts globally.”
The judges also found five others guilty of committing various crimes against humanity, ranging from murder to sexual violence and torture, among other crimes, and ordered sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison. The judges acquitted four men.
The judges also ruled on reparations claims, awarding between 200 million to one billion Guinean francs (approximately US$23,000 to $115,000) for the different groups of victims, including those who have suffered physical and psychological trauma.
Lawyers registered with the Guinean Bar Association decided to boycott all hearings throughout the country until July 31 in protest of the enforced disappearance of members of the opposition coalition. As a result, both the defense lawyers and lawyers representing victims were not present during the reading of the verdict, based on Human Rights Watch’s monitoring.
During the 2009 assault, security forces opened fire on a peaceful protest. More than 150 people were killed and dozens were raped. Security forces then engaged in a cover-up, burying bodies in mass graves. The trial began on September 28, 2022, and lasted almost two years, during which judges heard from more than 100 victims, 11 accused, and over a dozen witnesses, including high-level government officials. The convicted men have 15 days to appeal, while the prosecution has two months.
Guinean authorities should step up security measures after the verdict to ensure the safety of victims and witnesses, in particular those who testified in the trial, from any possible reprisals, Human Rights Watch said.
The landmark domestic trial of the brutal 2009 massacre provides important lessons not only for Guinea but also for other governments seeking to deliver justice for serious crimes under international law,” Aburamadan said. “The duty to investigate and prosecute serious crimes lies first and foremost with domestic authorities. It is crucial for national authorities and their international partners to step up efforts to pursue justice.”
