Chad’s president pardons main rival and opposition leader in jail

(Corrects the spelling of the name in paragraph 1 from Success Masra to Succes Masra)

N’DJAMENA, Aug 14 (Reuters) – Chad’s presidency said in a statement that President Mahamat Idriss Deby has pardoned his main rival and opposition leader Succes Masra, who has been in jail for more than a year for inciting violence and complicity to murder.

• Masra, a former prime minister, was sentenced to 20 years and fined 1 billion CFA francs ($1.77 million) last year in a trial that was criticized by human rights activists as politically motivated.

• Masra will be released in the coming days, the statement said, after the presidency agreed to a request for a pardon submitted by his attorneys.

• Masra was internationally recognized as the most vocal figure in the opposition. He will be freed along with eight other political figures, the statement said.

• “These nine individuals will be released as soon as the Ministry of Justice makes the necessary arrangements in the coming hours and days,” the presidency said.

• “They have been pardoned by the Head of State. However, the pardon does not waive the civil penalties, which remain enforceable.”

($1 = 565.7500 CFA francs)

(Reporting by Chad newsroom, Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Jessica Donati and Chizu Nomiyama)