ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — A court in Madagascar has sentenced former Senate President Richard Ravalomanana to 10 years of hard labour after finding him guilty of complicity in murder for his alleged role in the deadly crackdown on youth-led protests that ultimately led to the collapse of the previous government.
The ruling, delivered in the capital, Antananarivo, is one of the most significant accountability cases since former President Andry Rajoelina was removed from power following months of nationwide unrest.
Ravalomanana, a retired gendarmerie general and close ally of Rajoelina, was accused by prosecutors of using his influence within the country's security establishment to direct security forces to violently suppress demonstrators.
The protests, widely referred to as the "Gen Z" demonstrations, erupted in September and October 2025. Initially sparked by widespread public anger over persistent electricity and water shortages, the movement quickly evolved into nationwide anti-government protests demanding political reforms and Rajoelina's resignation.
The government's response turned deadly. According to United Nations figures cited by local media, at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 others were injured during the demonstrations. The violence triggered a political crisis that culminated in Rajoelina leaving office and the formation of a transitional government led by Col. Michael Randrianirina.
Ravalomanana was removed as Senate president in October 2025, shortly after the protests subsided. Two months later, he was arrested at his residence after failing to respond to official summonses from the gendarmerie. He subsequently spent seven months in pre-trial detention at the high-security Imerintsiatosika prison outside Antananarivo.
Throughout the trial, Ravalomanana denied all wrongdoing, while his legal team announced plans to appeal the conviction.
His lawyers argued that prosecutors failed to present documentary evidence, operational orders, communication records, or other proof showing that he instructed security forces to use lethal force against protesters. A former national police chief who testified during the trial also supported the defense, stating that Ravalomanana held no formal operational command over the police or military units deployed during the protests.
The court, however, dismissed a separate charge alleging that Ravalomanana had issued death threats, ruling that the claim was barred by the statute of limitations.
Despite the verdict, the retired general remains under investigation in a separate case involving allegations of financial corruption.
Ravalomanana is one of several senior political and military figures associated with the former Rajoelina administration who are currently facing judicial scrutiny under Madagascar's transitional government.