Hissene Habre trial: Prosecutor seeks "life sentence" for the former Chadian president

The prosecution in the trial of former Chadian President Hissene Habre in Dakar has asked for a life sentence for the former leader on Wednesday.

Habre is on trial at the Extraordinary African Chambers (EAC) established under an agreement between Senegal and the African Union (AU), on charges of war crimes against humanity and torture.

This is unprecedented trial, the first in the world in which a former head of state is brought before a court in another country for alleged human rights.

The special prosecutor, Mbacke Fall, said “considering the evidence, it is necessary to retain the guilt of Hissène Habré for crimes of torture, crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) welcomed the charges.

“ Hissene Habre is prosecuted for the most serious and heinous atrocities – killings , systematic torture in secret prisons , sexual slavery of women and minor girls and ethnic cleansing campaigns,” Reed Brody said .

The former Chadian President Hissene Habre has refused to acknowledged the legitimacy of the AU court.