34 Years Later, Sankara's Murder Trial to Begin in Burkina Faso
The long-awaited trial for the murder of Thomas Sankara - assassinated in a coup d'etat which brought exiled former president Blaise Compaore to power - has been set for October 11, military prosecutors have announced.
The proceedings, which will be held in public, will begin at 9am local time. It has taken 34 years for the case to finally come to court. Guy Hervé Kam, one of the lawyers representing families of victims, told RFI it was a victory and "a time for truth" for the families.
Compaore and 12 others face charges of harming state security, complicity in murder and complicity in the concealment of corpses. Among those accused alongside Compaore is General Gilbert Diendere, Compaore's former right-hand man and a former head of the elite Presidential Security Regiment (RSP) at the time of the coup.
Now 70, Compaore currently lives in Cote d'Ivoire, where he fled after being ousted and where he has since taken citizenship. Unless he chooses to present himself for trial, he will be judged in absentia.
I really hope France gets held accountable
The long-awaited trial for the murder of Thomas Sankara - assassinated in a coup d'etat which brought exiled former president Blaise Compaore to power - has been set for October 11, military prosecutors have announced.
The proceedings, which will be held in public, will begin at 9am local time. It has taken 34 years for the case to finally come to court. Guy Hervé Kam, one of the lawyers representing families of victims, told RFI it was a victory and "a time for truth" for the families.
Compaore and 12 others face charges of harming state security, complicity in murder and complicity in the concealment of corpses. Among those accused alongside Compaore is General Gilbert Diendere, Compaore's former right-hand man and a former head of the elite Presidential Security Regiment (RSP) at the time of the coup.
Now 70, Compaore currently lives in Cote d'Ivoire, where he fled after being ousted and where he has since taken citizenship. Unless he chooses to present himself for trial, he will be judged in absentia.
Thomas Sankara's Murder Trial Begins, Then Adjourns
The long-awaited trial for the murder of Thomas Sankara - assassinated in a coup d'etat which brought exiled former president Blaise Compaore to power - has been delayed once again. This time because defence lawyers asked for more time, saying they were confronted with tens of thousands of...
I really hope France gets held accountable