Lawyers say Chad opposition figures held in poor prison conditions

French lawyers for eight jailed Chadian opposition figures said Friday that the men are being held in deplorable prison conditions and that their health is rapidly worsening.

The eight men, who are critics of President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, were sentenced to eight years without parole after being found guilty of inciting an insurrection and organising a banned demonstration.

Lawyers Emmanuel Altit and Yael Mrejen said in a statement that the detainees have been deprived of medical care in prison and must depend on their families to bring them food and water. They said detention has weakened most of the defendants, many of whom are elderly. One detainee is 88, and another needed emergency hospital treatment earlier this week.

The lawyers said the charges, the conduct of the trial and the continued detention conditions raised serious questions about Chad's international commitments.

The eight men belonged to the Political Actors Consultation Group, or GCAP, the main opposition coalition. Chad's Supreme Court dissolved the group on April 24.

Deby has led Chad since 2021, when he took charge of a military transition after the death of his father, who was killed by rebels after 30 years in power. Opposition groups have repeatedly complained of intimidation and bans on public gatherings.

Last year, former prime minister Succes Masra was jailed for 20 years after a trial that Human Rights Watch described as politically motivated.