Chad: Questions Are Growing on the Death in Cell of 44 Prisoners

These prisoners were reportedly captured during Operation "Anger of Bohoma", carried out by the Chadian army from March 31 to April 8 (illustration image). Thomas SAMSON / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

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Many questions and few answers after the death in conditions not yet elucidated Thursday of 44 people from a group of 58 prisoners presented as terrorists from Boko Haram, arrested during the Chadian offensive in the Lac region. Update on the current investigation.

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Civil society calls for an investigation after the announcement of their death after the use of a lethal substance following an autopsy carried out on 4 of the 44 bodies, prisoners who died while they were locked up in the dungeons of the Gendarmerie Legion from Ndjamena, without any visitation rights.

Who are they ? Were they arrested on the battlefield or elsewhere? Chadian civil society is asking many questions about the identity of the 44 people found dead in their cells on Thursday.

The Ndjamena prosecutor in charge of the case admits that he did not have time to establish their identity. "  Their identity is the list that was given to us only by the army ," explains Youssouf Tom. It was when we started the judicial investigation where we have to take their identities as the procedure requires that the drama happened . "

Another question, why did the medical examiner only perform four autopsies? “  We are in heat, the bodies have started to decompose. The sanitary services of the town hall took care of their burial.  "

Finally, the main question for Chadian civil society is how exactly they died. Prosecutor Youssouf Tom recognizes that at this stage, he has not yet solved the mystery: "  I cannot say at the outset that they committed suicide, or that someone came to give them poison, but it is extraordinary and it is up to the investigation to be able to determine it . "

Civil society asked Monday for an international investigation, the Minister of Justice calls on him to be patient. Djimet Arabi ensures that the final report of the medical examiner will be made public by tomorrow at the latest. "  The government has been stunned by this story and we are just as curious to know what happened,  " he added.

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  • Chad
  • Boko Haram
  • Justice

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