Madagascar ex-Senate chief sentenced to hard labour over deadly Gen Z protest crackdown
Madagascar’s former Senate president has been sentenced to 10 years of hard labour over his alleged role in the violent crackdown on youth-led protests that helped bring down the previous government last year. Richard Ravalomanana, a retired general and close ally of former President Andry Rajoelina, was found guilty of complicity in murder by a […]
Former Madagascar Senate president Richard Ravalomanana has been sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for his alleged role in the violent crackdown on youth protests last year. The court found him guilty of complicity in murder, accusing him of instructing security forces to use violence against demonstrators during the Gen Z protests in September and October 2025.
Ravalomanana denies the allegations and plans to appeal the decision. The protests, initially sparked by power and water shortages, evolved into a broader movement against then-President Andry Rajoelina's government. At least 22 people were killed and over 100 injured during the unrest, according to UN figures. Rajoelina was later removed from power, and Ravalomanana was arrested in December 2025 after failing to respond to a summons from the gendarmerie. He is also facing corruption charges.
Written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
