A court in the capital, Antanarivo, has sentenced former president Marc Ravalomanana and two officers to life imprisonment with hard labour for the part they played in the deaths of about 30 protesters before he was forced from office in 2009.
Ravalomanana, who has lived in exile in South Africa since being deposed by the country's current leader, Andry Rajeolina, with the help of the miltary, has been convicted twice before by other courts.
Observers believe this third court ruling is aimed at preventing his return to contest the forthcoming presidential elections and warned this might jeopardise any chances the country has for a dialogue on breaking the current political impasse.
After deliberations, the court which conducted the latest trial admitted the testimony of witnesses who said Ravalomanana gave orders to shoot if protestors approached the presidential palace during a demonstration.
Lawyers for the former leader have, however, rejected the decision, saying it is valueless. They refused to take part in the case, saying they had petitioned the higher courts several weeks previously and were waiting for a decission from them.
Ravalomanana reacted by telling the international press it was a "stupid and ridiculous" judgement to which he gave no particular importance.
He said it was a political manoeuvre aimed at preventing him from participating in elections and hindering talks currently taking place.
Rajeolina on his part said in a radio and television broadcast that "there is an end to everything" and that the country should now focus on the upcoming elections.
He said he had told judiciary he respected their independence. He also announced a national conference from September 13 to 18 and said he intends to propose a new constitution in the comming days.
A group of Malagasy citizens living in France have condemned the court ruling, maintaining that only the high court is competent to handle a case of that nature.
Observers have suggested that the trial will hinder the peace process and undermine negotiations initiated by civil society.
Compiled by Michael Tantoh from reports in Midi Madagasikara.
http://www.midi-madagasikara.mg/
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'Youtube video clearly shows that on 7 February 2009 Andry Rajoelina and Monja Roindefo - who had been named as prime minister by Rajoelina only minutes before - called on the crowd to go take over Ambohitsorohitra palace for the expressed purpose of getting a place from which they could rule the country. Another video shows clearly that the line of defense was identified to the protesters and that they were told that if they crossed that line they would be shot. They then stormed across the line. The US government and Amnesty International have called for a credible independent investigation of what happened on 7 February 2009. President Ravalomanana agreed to such an investigation but under Andry Rajoelina it hasnt happened. Since when does a democratically elected president not have the right to defend the presidential palace from people whose stated goal is to overthrow the constitutional government?
The 3 mouvances (Ratsiraka, Ravalomanana, Zafy) and Amnesty International have called on the coup d'état government to release political prisoners. The response of Andry Rajoelina's government has been to put out arrest warrants for more political prisoners and to continue to tear gas and arrest demonstrators as was done this past 28 August in Toliara.
Despite the ongoing repression and injustice, France and SADC mediator Joachim Chissano have indicated that they think that negotiations should continue with Andry Rajoelina's government to find a solution to the crisis. Chissano said on 30 August: "The aim is to keep peace and stability. Any semblance of peace and stability in Madagascar at this time comes at the expense of freedom of the press, basic human rights, and the countrys unique biodiversity.
The ten employees of Radio Fahazavana, the radio of the largest protestant church in Madagascar, have been in jail now for over 100 days, awaiting a trial for which no date has been set. At the time the coup détat government closed it down on 20 May, Radio Fahazavana was the only radio that dared to oppose the oppressive actions of the coup détat government, except for Radio anny Gasy, an unlicensed pirate radio that continues to sporadically broadcast from an undisclosed location despite the governments every effort to locate it and arrest the journalists responsible.
The African Union, in an unprecedented move this past March to try to put an end to a recent wave of coups détat in Africa, called for sanctions against Andry Rajoelina and 108 supporters of his regime. Since then France has repeatedly flaunted the sanctions, most notoriously by inviting a military leader of the coup détat to come to Paris to watch while 40 Malagasy coup détat troops marched down the Champs-Elysées in celebration of Bastille Day. The United States has yet to publicly voice support for the African Union sanctions.
Meanwhile, France continues to provide military assistance to the coup détat government.
It is clear that negotiations with Andry Rajoelinas regime are systematically used by him to buy time so that he can continue to rob the country and devastate the countrys unique biodiversity (see recent National Geographic article). Rajoelina has repeatedly flaunted the international communitys calls to respect human rights. It is time for the devastation of Madagascars rainforests to be stopped. It is time for political prisoners to be freed and human rights to be respected. It is time for those who say they want democracy in Madagascar to quit promoting a solution that would leave Andry Rajoelina in place as president.
Surely i agree. Rajoelina is a criminal, a liar, a thief, a stupid thug . He should be put on life sentence instead. It is not a surprise France has always helped the world worst assassins and genociders, it seems for France seeing a country destroyed, people starved and children massacred is a matter of pleasure. Everybody talk about USA, look what France did in Central African Republic, they destroyed the town of Birao by killing the whole population./ France has killed more people in few weeks in Africa than USA has done in years in Iraq or Afghanistan.