Guinea Court To Announce Verdict On 2009 Stadium Massacre Trial Wednesday

A court in Guinea is set to deliver its verdict on Wednesday in the trial of former military ruler, Moussa Dadis Camara, over the bloody 2009 massacre at a stadium in Conakry. The incident resulted in the deaths of over 150 people and the rape of more than 100 women.

The ugly events took place on September 28, 2009, when security forces, including Camara’s presidential guard, soldiers, police, and militia, violently suppressed an opposition rally against Camara’s intention to vie for the presidential election as against his earlier pledge not to.

According to a United Nations investigation, at least 156 people were killed, 109 women were raped, and many others injured.

After years of waiting for a trial for justice by victims and their families, the case was finally brought to court under the junta government that took power in 2021. Alongside Camara, 11 other former government and military officials were charged with murder, sexual violence, torture, abduction, and kidnapping.

Camara has continuosly denied any involvement, attributing the crimes to his subordinates. The trial began on September 28, 2022, with the proceedings being broadcast on television and radio.

The prosecution called for life sentences for Camara and six other defendants, and sought to classify the charges as crimes against humanity. However, Defence lawyers argued that such a classification without proper notice would deny the defendants a fair trial.

Following the verdict, the accused and the plaintiffs will have 15 days to appeal, while the prosecutor’s office will have two months to do so.

A spokesperson for the Guinean Human Rights Organisation, Alseny Sall, told AFP that the verdict of the “historic trial” will pass across “a strong message in the fight against the impunity of our leaders.”

Furthermore, a legal advisor for Human Rights Watch, Tamara Aburamadan, said the verdict “is a long-awaited moment of truth for the victims and their families.”

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