Guinea’s ruling junta has granted a pardon to former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara, citing “health reasons,” just months after he was convicted of crimes against humanity for his role in the 2009 stadium massacre. The decision was announced on state television late Friday.
Camara, who took power in a 2008 coup, was sentenced on July 31, 2024, to 20 years in prison over the killing of at least 157 people during a pro-democracy rally in Conakry’s main stadium.
On September 28, 2009, tens of thousands of demonstrators had gathered to urge Camara not to run in the upcoming presidential election. Security forces responded with brutal violence—firing live rounds, stabbing, and beating protesters, while many were crushed in the chaos. At least a dozen women were raped, according to prosecutors.
Camara, now 61, was convicted alongside seven other military commanders.
Despite the pardon, Guinea’s military-led government, which took power in a 2021 coup, announced on Thursday that it would still provide financial compensation to victims—fulfilling a court order requiring Camara and his co-defendants to cover damages.
According to Reuters calculations, at least $2 million will be allocated to rape survivors, while $18 million will go to families of those killed or missing.
Junta leader Mamady Doumbouya, who overthrew Guinea’s previous government in 2021, has not commented publicly on the decision.
