Former Comoro Islands President faces life imprisonment for high treason

Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, former President of Comoro Islands, could receive life in prison sentence after Comorian Government Commissioner to the State Security Court requested Thursday the condemnation against him during his trial for high treason.

Sambi who ruled the African country between 2006 and 2011 has been since Monday in the box on charges of high treason.

His defense team advised him not to show up in court on Tuesday and Wednesday as they reject the accusation arguing that the case is biased.

“The former Comorian president decided to boycott the hearing. He denounces a biased procedure,” the team announced during a press conference.

“We have appeared before a court that was abolished by the Law of 2020. And we are prevented from discussing the legality of this jurisdiction. In these circumstances, I support the decision of President Sambi. We came to try to prevent arbitrariness, not to accept the instrumentalization of justice for political purposes, unfortunately we found that there was no room for that,” declared Jan Fermon, a member of the defense team.

“It is a trial ruled in advance,” said Ahamada Mahamoudou another lawyer of the former leader. The defense team also told media that high treason charges held against their client is an offence not defined by the Comorian law.

It is not defined anywhere, high treason is non-existent, the team reportedly added.