In the Central African Republic, the former president of the National Assembly, Karim Meckassoua, was sentenced to life imprisonment and the seizure of his property on Wednesday. He was prosecuted for, among other things, endangering the internal security of the State, accused of collusion with the CPC rebels, which he always denied. His defense denounces political and judicial relentlessness.
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In September, 23 people including former President Bozizé were convicted in the same case. This verdict was delivered during the criminal session of the Bangui Court of Appeal, in the absence of the former presidential candidate, who has been living in exile in France for two and a half years. Abdou Karim Meckassoua discreetly left Bangui on August 15, 2021. He was previously removed from his position as president of the National Assembly in 2018, then stripped of his status as a deputy on August 11, 2021.
His defense denounces political and judicial relentlessness and recalls that appeals remained to be examined before a trial could be held.
Maître Nicolas Tiangaye is one of his lawyers, was contacted by François Mazet, from the Africa editorial team. “ I appealed the order of the investigating judge, I also filed an appeal in cassation against the order of the president of the court of appeal.
Central African laws provide that in criminal matters, remedies have a suspensive effect. Consequently, the judgment, let’s say the decision which was rendered by the criminal court, is not a legal decision, it is a service which was rendered to the power in place and which does not at all bind my customer. And then, now, pressure has been put on the judges so that today, we arrive at a parody of sentencing Mr. Karim Meckassoua to life imprisonment.
So for us, it was predictable. But the fight for justice continues, the fight for legality, the rule of law will continue. »
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