Madagascar’s former Senate president Richard Ravalomanana has been sentenced to 10 years of hard labour after being convicted of complicity in murder over his alleged role in a deadly crackdown on youth-led protests in 2025.
Ravalomanana, a retired general and ally of former President Andry Rajoelina, denied the allegations and said he would appeal the verdict.
Prosecutors accused him of using his influence within the gendarmerie to direct security forces to violently suppress demonstrations in September and October 2025. The protests initially focused on shortages of water and electricity before developing into a broader challenge to Rajoelina’s government.
At least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured during the unrest, according to UN figures cited by local media.
The demonstrations contributed to a political crisis that resulted in Rajoelina’s removal and the installation of a new administration led by Col Michael Randrianirina.
Ravalomanana was removed as Senate president in October and arrested in December after failing to answer a gendarmerie summons. He has spent seven months in pre-trial detention.
His defence argued that there was no evidence he ordered security personnel to use force. A former national police chief also testified that Ravalomanana was not within the operational chain of command during the unrest.
The court dismissed a separate death-threat charge, ruling that it was too old to prosecute.
Ravalomanana is also facing a separate corruption investigation.
