In the aftermath of a recent jailbreak involving armed commandos liberating ex-dictator Moussa Dadis Camara, the trial over the 2009 massacre in Guinea reconvened on Monday.
Despite concerns about trial interruption following the jailbreak that left nine dead, proceedings resumed after a three-week suspension for unrelated reasons.
Three of the accused, including Dadis Camara, were swiftly recaptured on the day of the jailbreak, while Colonel Claude Pivi remains at large.
The trial focuses on charges related to a politically motivated massacre during Dadis Camara’s presidency in 2009, a dark chapter in Guinea’s history.
However, Monday’s proceedings were not without tension, as worries arose over the lack of authorized communication between Dadis Camara and his lawyers since the jailbreak.
This situation was deemed a “violation of the rights of the defense” by one of his legal representatives, Pepe Antoine Lamah.
Colonel Claude Pivi’s absence prompted his lawyer, Fode Kaba Cherif, to request a trial postponement, a plea opposed by Prosecutor Alghassimou Diallo. The hearing was adjourned until Monday afternoon.
Defendants’ lawyers argued that their clients were forcefully removed from prison, disputing the notion of voluntary escape. Dadis Camara, along with 10 other former officials, faces charges ranging from murders and acts of torture to rapes and kidnappings during the tragic events of September 28, 2009, and the ensuing days.
The massacre, which began at a political rally in a Conakry stadium, resulted in at least 156 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and at least 109 reported cases of rape, according to a UN-mandated commission of inquiry.
