Moussa Dadis Camara, Guinea’s former military ruler, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of crimes against humanity.
The allegations originate from the 2009 massacre of over 150 people at a pro-democracy march in Conakry, the capital.
More than 100 survivors and relatives of victims testified at the trial, which began in November 2022, more than a decade after the massacre and in response to pressure from families and campaigners seeking justice.
The court stated that the allegations, which included murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping, had been reclassified as crimes against humanity.
Seven other accused military leaders were convicted of the same charges during the high-profile trial. Four others were acquitted.
Mr. Camara seized power in a coup in 2008, following the death of long-term President Lansana Conté.
Soldiers opened fire on demonstrators at the stadium who were opposing his ambitions to run for president the next year.
But a Human Rights Watch report found that Camera’s top aides were at the venue and had done nothing to stop the massacre.
Survivors said many could not flee the gunfire after his presidential guard surrounded the stadium and blocked the exits.
Camara fled the country after surviving an assassination attempt shortly after the massacre, but returned from exile in September 2022 to face justice, claiming innocence.
Camara was released from jail late last year after gunmen stormed the country’s biggest prison, but he was returned to custody hours later, with his lawyer alleging he had been kidnapped.
Amnesty International, a rights organisation, has applauded the “historic verdict as an example to the world and to Guinea, where the illegal use of firearms and excessive use of force during demonstrations remains commonplace.”
