Dakar — A special tribunal upheld the life sentence for Chad’s former president Hissene Habre for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the final decision of a landmark case, a judge presiding over the court in Senegal said on Thursday. Habre, 74, an ally of the West during the Cold War, was sentenced in 2016 to life in prison for rape and ordering the killing and torture of thousands of political opponents. His lawyers had appealed against the decision, saying the sentence was too severe. The appeal court’s final verdict marks the end of a 17-year battle by victims and rights groups to bring the former leader to justice. About a dozen victims present in the courtroom in Dakar jumped up and cried, "We won!" when Judge Wafi Ougadeye announced the verdict. "Our patience has paid off. Never again will a dictator … be permitted to do horrible things and escape justice," said Clement Abaifouta, one of the Chadian victims. The trial was conducted by the Extraordinary African Chambers ...
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