90 legalistic partisans still behind bars

Some 90 partisans or collaborators of Marc Ravalomanana are currently behind bars. They are part of the « legalistic » movement’s partisans who claimed Marc Ravalomanana’s come back to power. The Tiko group’s previous general manager, and Manandafy Rakotonirina’s lawyer are among these prisoners. 

According to the legalistic movement’s leaders, 28 political prisoners are being held in custody inside Antanimora’s penitentiary, while about sixty of them are convicted in Tsiafahy. Most of them have been arrested in 2009. 

The High Authority of Transition is, obviously, denying them the political prisoners’ title. « They have been charged for common right offenses », explained a HAT Justice ministry official fully supporting the putsch and its government. Until now, only ten prisoners have been released by the HAT, including former parliamentarians. 

The European parliament also criticized the HAT recently, and emphasized the urgent need for the Malagasy political prisoners’ release from custody.