Chad’s Supreme Court in N’Djamena has delivered a final blow to opposition leader Succès Masra by rejecting his team’s last-ditch appeal. The decision cements his 20-year prison sentence, stemming from a case tied to violent clashes in Mandakao.

The ruling makes the sentence permanent, closing all domestic legal avenues. Former Prime Minister and party leader Succès Masra now faces two decades behind bars following the court’s confirmation of his conviction.

In August of last year, Masra was sentenced by the Criminal Court on multiple counts: spreading racist and xenophobic messages, forming a criminal association, and complicity in murder. Prosecutors pointed to a 2023 broadcast they claim incited intercommunal violence in Mandakao, which erupted in May 2025.

On the day of the Supreme Court hearing, a heavy security presence—including police and military units—was deployed around the courthouse. Despite the session’s public nature, access was tightly controlled.

The ruling exhausts Masra’s domestic options, leaving international or regional courts as his remaining recourse. His supporters have framed the case as politically motivated. “We remain hopeful that a political solution will emerge,” stated Claudia Hoinathy, a senior member of the Transformers Party.