A court in Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo, has sentenced former Senate president Richard Ravalomanana to 10 years of hard labour, convicting him of complicity in murder for his role in the deadly suppression of youth-led demonstrations in 2025. The protests, which killed at least 22 people, ultimately forced former President Andry Rajoelina from power.
Court Conviction and Background
Ravalomanana, a retired general and close ally of Rajoelina, was found guilty on Tuesday by a court in Antananarivo. According to BBC, prosecutors argued that he gave direct instructions to security forces to use lethal force against demonstrators during the so-called Gen Z protests in September and October 2025. The protests began over persistent electricity and water shortages before growing into a wider campaign against Rajoelina's administration.
According to UN figures cited by local media, the crackdown left at least 22 people dead and more than 100 others injured. The unrest triggered a political crisis that ended in Rajoelina's removal and the appointment of Col Michael Randrianirina to lead a new government.
Ravalomanana's Role in the Crackdown
Ravalomanana held considerable influence within the gendarmerie at the time of the unrest. A state prosecutor said in December 2025 that he "directed violent actions to suppress the demonstrations." He was stripped of the Senate presidency in October 2025, shortly after the protests subsided, and was arrested at his home in December after failing to appear before a gendarmerie summons. He has since spent seven months in pre-trial detention at the high-security Imerintsiatosika prison on the outskirts of Antananarivo.
However, a former national police chief who testified during the trial supported Ravalomanana's position, saying he was outside the operational chain of command and had issued no orders to police, gendarmes, or soldiers deployed during the protests.
Defence Challenges Evidence
Ravalomanana's legal team questioned whether the prosecution produced any concrete evidence linking him directly to the violence. "Is there confirmed written or verbal evidence... to accuse him?" his lawyer asked the court, arguing that no proof existed that security personnel had received orders from his client.
The court did drop one allegation against him, ruling that a charge of making a death threat was too old to prosecute. His defence team confirmed it would challenge the conviction before a higher court. Ravalomanana, who is also facing a separate corruption investigation, denied all the charges against him.
Known for his cowboy hat and the display of his military medals, Ravalomanana had become a symbol of authoritarian power in the eyes of many protesters during the unrest. He is among a number of senior figures connected to Rajoelina's former administration who have faced legal action since the change of government.
