Human Rights Committee

145th session

Summary record of the 4268th meeting

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Thursday, 5 March 2026, at 3 p.m.

Chair:Mr. Soh

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 40 of the Covenant (continued)

Third periodic report of Chad

The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 40 of the Covenant (continued)

Third periodic report of Chad (CCPR/C/TCD/3; CCPR/C/TCD/Q/3; CCPR/C/TCD/RQ/3)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Chad joined the meeting.

A representative of Chad said that his country’s third periodic report (CCPR/C/TCD/3) covered a period of almost a decade, from 2014 to 2023. The period of political transition that had begun following the death in 2021 of the country’s previous President had led to the organization of an inclusive and sovereign national dialogue, the adoption of a new Constitution and the holding of a free and transparent presidential election on 6 May 2024. All institutions provided for under the new Constitution had already been put in place.

A representative of Chad said that institutions such as the Senate, the Constitutional Council and the Office of the Ombudsman had been re-established following the adoption by referendum of the new Constitution in December 2023. The preamble to the Constitution expressed the Government’s firm determination to combat all forms of corruption, a commitment also reflected in the operationalization of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority.

Legislation had been adopted to increase human rights protections, including through the abolition of the death penalty in 2020, and the Government had taken steps to enhance the independence of the judiciary, with the role of the Supreme Council of Justice including the prevention of interference by the other branches of government in the appointment of judges and in judicial proceedings. Programmes had been implemented to ensure humane conditions of deprivation of liberty, in accordance with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules). New prisons had been built, dilapidated ones had been renovated, and the number of monitoring visits to prisons was increasing.

The Government had strengthened its legal and institutional framework for the prevention, prosecution and punishment of trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants and for the protection and provision of assistance to victims. Chad was a party to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and its 2018 law on combating trafficking in persons made such trafficking an offence and provided for inter‑institutional coordination mechanisms to combat it. The National Commission to Combat Human Trafficking had been established in 2021 to coordinate efforts to prevent trafficking, prosecute perpetrators and protect victims. Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, had made an official visit to the country in February 2026.

The legal instruments protecting women’s rights in Chad included the Criminal Code, which made punishable acts of violence and discrimination against women, the law on gender parity in elections and appointments to office in Chad, the 2024 law on the Electoral Code, which required that women must make up at least 30% of lists of candidates for legislative and local elections, and the ordinance on the prevention and prosecution of violence against women and girls in Chad. In addition, the Government had launched nationwide awareness-raising campaigns under the National Strategy to Combat Gender-based Violence and the road map to combat child marriage and female genital mutilation. Legislation had been enacted to protect children against all forms of violence, exploitation, trafficking, early marriage and forced labour, and several institutional mechanisms had been established to improve the judicial and social response to violations of children’s rights.

The numbers of legally established political parties, human rights associations and media outlets were on the rise. A preliminary draft law on the protection of human rights defenders had been put forward. The members of the Permanent Framework for Political Dialogue, a platform for consultation among different political groups that served to prevent tensions, foster consensus and consolidate inclusive and peaceful governance, had taken up their positions a few weeks earlier. The “Chad Connection 2030” national development programme included measures to strengthen governance, stimulate economic growth and ensure inclusive and sustainable development.

Mr. Ndiaye said that he would be grateful for examples of cases in which national courts had directly invoked provisions of the Covenant and for information on any initiatives to systematically disseminate the Covenant, provide training on the Covenant to judges, prosecutors, lawyers and law enforcement officers, raise awareness of the first Optional Protocol to the Covenant among legal professionals, civil society organizations and the general public and educate students and the general public about the Covenant.

The delegation might comment on reports that a decree adopted in 2025 provided for the establishment of a commission to study the possibility of reintroducing the death penalty. He wished to know why there was a need for such a commission, what work it had done thus far and whether the decree was consistent with the State Party’s commitment to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. He wished to know whether a domestic court had ever set aside a national law because it was inconsistent with the Covenant, given the precedence accorded under national law to duly ratified treaties, and how the State Party ensured that judges and prosecutors were aware of that precedence.

He would appreciate information on any investigations, prosecutions, convictions and awards of reparation resulting from the allegations that summary and extrajudicial executions had taken place in Miandoum in November 2016, in Goré in February 2017, in Abéché in January 2022 and in N’Djamena in October 2022. He wished to know what steps the State Party had taken to prevent and protect civilians from violence committed by rebel movements in the north and by Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa in the Lake Chad region and from violence stemming from conflicts between herders and sedentary farmers in the south and inter‑ethnic conflicts, and what it was doing to prevent impunity. He would welcome an update on the status of the pastoral code under development, and would like to know whether the drafting process was inclusive and whether a disarmament programme was in place to reduce the circulation and use of firearms and prevent the creation of militias.

He would like to know whether the State Party’s legislation and operational procedures governing the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials and the security forces were in line with the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the United Nations Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement; whether impartial, thorough investigations had been conducted into the repression of demonstrations on 11 April 2021 and 20 October 2022 and, if so, whether those investigations had resulted in the prosecution, conviction and punishment of members of the security forces and the award of reparations to victims; when the report on the investigation carried out by the Economic Community of Central African States into the events of 20 October 2022 would be published; and when the recommendations contained in it would be implemented.

Mr. Quezada Cabrera said that he wished to know whether the 10 billion CFA francs (CFAF) that had been awarded to victims of the regime of the former President Hissène Habré had been paid out, how the amount had been allocated among the victims and whether it satisfied the requirements set by the Special Criminal Court in N’Djamena on 25 March 2015 and by the Appeals Chamber of the Extraordinary African Chambers on 27 April 2017. He would be grateful for information on any medical or psychological care provided to the victims and on steps taken to address the stigmatization against them. He wondered whether, in compliance with the order of the Special Criminal Court in N’Djamena, the State Party had built a monument to the victims of the regime and converted the former headquarters of the Documentation and Security Directorate, the regime’s main repressive body, into a museum and whether the victims or their representatives had been consulted on any such measures.

He would appreciate information on the laws implementing the Constitutional guarantees of equality and the administrative and judicial remedies available to enforce them. He wished to know whether those guarantees ensured non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and, if so, why sexual relations between persons of the same sex were punishable under the Criminal Code. He would also like to know what steps the State Party was taking to prevent discrimination against persons with albinism and to improve their living conditions and whether reports were true that the journalist Charfadine Galmaye Saleh and the blogger and activist Nguebla Makaïla had been stripped of their nationality for having expressed views critical of the Government. He wondered whether a personal and family code addressing the unequal treatment of men and women had been adopted, what steps the State Party was taking to counter the inequality between men and women in the areas of inheritance, property rights and marital regimes, what it was doing to eradicate the practice of female genital mutilation and whether administrative and criminal law measures were in place to root out the practice of child marriage.

Ms. Donders said that she wished to know what steps the State Party was taking to make the National Human Rights Commission more independent and effective, increase transparency in the appointment procedure for Commission members, involve the legislature and civil society in that procedure, create a uniform mandate for all Commission members, explicitly authorize the Commission to conduct unannounced visits to places of deprivation of liberty, ensure dissemination of the Commission’s reports and the implementation of its recommendations and increase cooperation between the Commission and civil society organizations. She wondered whether progress had been made in drafting the national human rights policy, what role the Commission and civil society organizations played in its drafting, to what extent it reflected the State Party’s international human rights obligations and whether it provided for mechanisms for the monitoring of its implementation.

She would be curious to know what steps the State Party planned to take in follow-up to the recommendations recently issued by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to Chad, including those relating to the high maternal mortality rate and the limited availability of sexual and reproductive health services. She wished to learn about any plans to improve the training of healthcare professionals, use mobile clinics to distribute essential medicines, conduct awareness-raising activities in communities and ensure age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education.

Ms. Bassim said that she would be grateful for information on the legal framework governing states of emergency, on the compatibility of the states of emergency declared between 2019 and 2024 with the Covenant and the Committee’s general comment No. 29 (2001), and on the restrictions on rights that those states of emergency had entailed. She wondered whether the State Party planned to repeal or amend the ordinances that related to the states of emergency and still remained in effect.

She wished to know how many complaints of violence against women, including domestic violence and female genital mutilation, had been recorded during the reporting period, to what extent they had resulted in investigations, prosecutions and the award of reparations to the victims and how the State Party ensured that victims could file complaints without fear of reprisals. She would be grateful for information on awareness-raising activities relating to the fight against violence against women and on capacity-building programmes for law enforcement officers. She would like to know whether the National Gender Policy and the National Strategy to Combat Gender-based Violence had been implemented, what their objectives were and whether steps had been taken to improve the capacity of integrated multisectoral service centres to provide support services to victims. Further information about the women’s centre, “Maison de la Femme”, would be appreciated, including with respect to its aims, funding and role in promoting the social and economic advancement of Chadian women.

Mr. Saidov said that he wished to know how the independence, operational autonomy and effectiveness of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority established in 2023 were guaranteed in practice, what procedures governed the appointment and dismissal of senior officials of that body, what safeguards were in place to prevent undue political interference, whether the Authority was authorized to open investigations on its own initiative, what steps were taken to ensure that it had sufficient financial and human resources and whether it made reports on its activities available to the public. He also wished to know how many complaints of corruption had been filed between 2023 and 2025, how many of those complaints had resulted in investigations and prosecutions and how many had involved high-level officials. He would like to know the total value of assets frozen, confiscated and recovered in corruption cases and the procedure for reintegrating such assets into the public budget. He wondered how the State Party ensured that judicial decisions in corruption-related cases were transparent and available to the public, whether a framework was in place to prevent corruption risks, whether public officials were required to declare their income and assets, how conflicts of interest were managed, whether there were protections for whistle-blowers and how the State Party evaluated the effectiveness of its anti-corruption measures in strengthening public trust and the rule of law.

The meeting was suspended at 4.10 p.m. and resumed at 4.45 p.m.

A representative of Chad said that the Covenant had been incorporated into the Criminal Code by virtue of amendments made to the Code in 2017. Consequently, judges no longer cited the Covenant in their decisions but rather applied the Code.

Chad had abolished the death penalty and no longer applied it, including for terrorism offences. However, some members of the public, including Muslim clerics, bloggers and social media users, had called for the Government to reintroduce the death penalty as a means of ending the upsurge in violence caused by conflicts in neighbouring countries, especially the Sudan, which were having a destabilizing influence. An incident in Abéché in January 2026, in which an individual released from prison had murdered several people, including a community leader, had given the impression of impunity and added to the clamour for justice reform. A commission had therefore been established to reflect upon and study the issue of the death penalty. The Government did not intend to reintroduce the death penalty, as it did not believe it to be a solution to the violence. However, it was seeking to strengthen its action to address the violence and ensure that violent offenders were punished and sent to secure prisons from which they could not easily escape. Addressing impunity would help to allay the concerns of those who were currently calling for the death penalty.

A representative of Chad said that the provisions of the Covenant had been promptly transposed into domestic law upon ratification. The Criminal Code had been amended and special legislation introduced on the prevention and punishment of torture and other offences. The Government recognized the need to raise awareness of the Covenant and the Optional Protocol among judges, prosecutors, criminal investigation officers and other justice actors, as well as the general public, and was therefore working with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on an awareness programme.

Chad had not enforced the death penalty since the adoption of the Criminal Code of 2017, and had practically become an abolitionist State. Indeed, on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Government had pledged to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. However, the upsurge in violence throughout the country had prompted certain justice actors to question whether the Government should reconsider its position. The reflection process currently under way was similar to an exercise that had taken place in Gabon. It did not mean that the Government was going to reverse its policy on the death penalty. Rather, it was a means of considering possible measures that could be taken to tackle the violence. The commission leading the process was inclusive and had a broad mandate to propose practical measures for the judiciary and prison system to tackle violence without resorting to the death penalty. The Government would not shrink from taking such measures to prevent the further deterioration of the security situation.

A representative of Chad, said that the Government had looked into reports of extrajudicial executions, notably in Abéché and Miandoum. In the case of Abéché, there had been prosecutions and civil claims had been brought and damages paid; however, no criminal court judgment had yet been handed down. The main suspect, who had been the governor of the province at the time, was now deceased.

The State continued to take measures, especially in the area of disarmament, to protect civilians from attacks by rebels and Boko Haram and to prevent intercommunal violence. Two disarmament frameworks were in place: one concerning the army; the other, former members of the Boko Haram sect. Such efforts were designed to reduce deaths as a result of the number of weapons of war circulating in the country. In January 2026, a team led by the Ministry of Public Security and Immigration had travelled to Abéché and proceeded to disarm the civilian population, recovering a large number of weapons. Some communities had set up alert systems whereby the traditional authorities reported latent conflicts to the local administrative or military authorities, who could then escalate the matter to the Government. In one case, the Government had quickly intervened to put a stop to an incipient armed conflict between two communities in Batha: a large detachment of security forces had pacified the communities and prevented the conflict from spreading. Such deployments did not always come quickly enough: 31 people had recently been killed in a conflict that had broken out in the vicinity of Massakory. Although the Government had been unable to prevent that conflict, officials had subsequently gone to the region to disarm the population and open legal proceedings. Disarmament efforts on the ground were important for ending violence and impunity and protecting civilian populations.

A representative of Chad said that, following the Doha Agreement for Peace and the Participation of the Political-Military Movements in the Inclusive National and Sovereign Dialogue, signed on 8 August 2022, the Government had put in place a national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, which the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had supported since early 2025. The Government and its partners worked with traditional chiefs and former members of Boko Haram to prevent the circulation of weapons, particularly in Lac Province.

A representative of Chad said that civilian protection efforts were particularly important in Lac Province and the north of the country, where attacks had occurred. In the Lake Chad region, the defence and security forces had stepped up patrols, evacuating island communities to safer areas on the shore and strengthening protection measures. In the north, a similar approach had been taken to protect civilians from rebel incursions: communities had been moved away from border areas and other vulnerable locations and security measures introduced. The aim of the Government’s standing disarmament programme was to recover military weapons that were not authorized for civilian use.

A representative of Chad said that the national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme had a child protection component, since it addressed the situation of children who had been forcibly recruited by Boko Haram. The number of children who had been rescued and placed in transit and guidance centres before being reintegrated into society had stood at 54 in 2023, 64 in 2024 and 41 in 2025.

A representative of Chad said that the country’s main source of wealth was agriculture, including herding and crop farming. As social conflicts had arisen between herders and sedentary farmers – who together accounted for a large part of the economy – the Government had undertaken to draft a new pastoral code, in an inclusive and representative manner, in order to promote reconciliation and coexistence. The competent ministry had organized local workshops and events to engage with herders and farmers. A first draft of the code had been drawn up, assessed by the Government and transmitted to the National Assembly, before being returned to the Government for a further reading. The Government was strongly committed to the new law and to encouraging the peaceful cohabitation of communities, in keeping with its policy of national reconciliation.

A representative of Chad said that investigations had been opened into the painful events of April 2021 and October 2022. However, as part of an effort to bring peace to the country, the Government had issued an amnesty covering the events in question, which meant that there could be no further criminal proceedings. As a result of the amnesty, which did not preclude the filing of civil suits, opponents of the Government had been released or allowed to return from exile.

A representative of Chad said that the events of 20 October 2022 should be described not as a demonstration but as an attempted armed uprising against the State. Government buildings had been attacked and about 20 law enforcement officers had lost their lives. Participants in the insurrection had been arrested and prosecuted under article 101 ff. of the Criminal Code, but had later benefited from the amnesty issued at the initiative of the Head of State. It was important to distinguish between repression and the prosecution of those who had attacked law enforcement in the context of an insurrection.

A representative of Chad said that the report on the investigation commissioned by the Economic Community of Central African States into the events of 20 October 2022 had been drawn up and transmitted to the Government in line with the Community’s internal rules of procedure. The Government had not raised any objection to the content of the report, which was awaiting publication pending the approval of the Community’s Heads of State. Publication was eagerly awaited in Chad, as a number of other reports, including those of human rights associations and the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States, had been prepared on the same subject.

A representative of Chad said that the 10 billion CFA francs (CFAF) that had been awarded to the victims of the Hissène Habré regime covered about a quarter of the compensation that they were due. To ensure that they received full compensation, the Extraordinary African Chambers and the African Union had set up trust funds; however, the Government had not yet received any money from those funds. The sums received by victims so far, in the amount of about CFAF 900,000 each, were insignificant, given the severe physical and psychological suffering that they had experienced. The Government was working to provide the Extraordinary African Chambers and the African Union with proof that it had disbursed the CFAF 10 billion, which would permit them to release additional funds.

A site had been identified for the construction of the monument to the victims of the Hissène Habré regime; land had been set aside for that purpose at Hamral-Goz, the site of a mass grave. Monuments would also be erected at other grave sites. Plans to turn the former headquarters of the Documentation and Security Directorate into a museum had been rejected owing to security concerns, as the site – a converted swimming pool where abuses had been committed – was located on the premises of the Office of the President. However, steps were being taken to allocate land for the construction of a museum elsewhere.

It was true that many of the survivors of the Hissène Habré regime were suffering from physical and mental ill health. However, the Government’s meetings with representatives of victims’ organizations had largely focused on the issue of financial compensation. It was necessary to identify victims who were ill or were experiencing difficult situations and provide them with solutions, including through the public health and social welfare services, to relieve their suffering.

A representative of Chad said he wished to clarify that the Government had paid CFAF 10 billion directly to victims, and that victims’ associations had independently recognized some 10,000 victims as eligible for the compensation.

A representative of Chad said that the question of non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation should be considered in the view of the reality of Africa. The criminal codes of African countries, insofar as they prohibited same-sex relations, reflected those countries’ social traditions; the Government could not impose policies that went against such traditions. In Chad, gender equality was enshrined in the Constitution, guaranteed by other laws and instruments and applied in practice. Special laws had been adopted to protect women and children and to promote women’s access to elected office. By law, women must be appointed to decision-making bodies at a rate of 30% and must account for 30% of parliamentarians.

A representative of Chad said that the Government had observed encouraging results following the adoption of Act No. 22/PR/2018 of 22 May 2018 on gender parity in elections and appointments to office. At the most recent parliamentary elections, female candidates had won 34% of seats in the National Assembly, with a similar percentage reported in local elections. The Government was working to implement the Act and to ensure that the 30% quota was respected in appointments to office. It planned to revise Act No. 017/PR/2001 of 31 December 2001 on the general status of public employees so that the 30% quota would apply to recruitment in the civil service.

A representative of Chad said that Chad was among many countries that had reported high maternal, child and neonatal mortality rates. The Government recognized that sporadic or isolated measures would not suffice to tackle the problem and that coordinated action was necessary. Accordingly, it was working to introduce universal health coverage, which had already been trialled in some provinces. In that regard, the Government had decided upon a non-contributory scheme, with the State covering the costs of universal healthcare. No effort would be spared until universal health coverage had been extended to all provinces.

Measures already taken included the introduction of free antenatal consultations, delivery care and postnatal care for 24 hours after childbirth; the upgrading of medical equipment; an increase in the training budget; and the provision of generic and specialist medicines – all of which were designed to ensure emergency care, including in the event of obstetric complications. Another flagship measure was the signature of an agreement with traditional, customary and religious authorities in the context of community awareness‑raising. The aims of that initiative were to persuade women to attend antenatal consultations and to promote childbirth in health facilities. In addition, the National Assembly had passed a law on health promotion and its implementing decree, while several policy and strategy documents had been adopted to raise women’s awareness of reproductive health issues. Other measures included the recruitment of midwives and their assignment to posts in the provinces. The Government’s efforts had borne fruit, and maternal mortality was falling quickly.

A representative of Chad said that the decision, adopted by presidential decree, to strip Nguebla Makaïla and Charfadine Galmaye Saleh of their nationality had been the subject of much discussion and disagreement in Chad. However, the Nationality Code provided for the removal of nationality in certain situations, and so the decision had been constitutional and based on the law of the land. Those who wished to challenge the decision were entitled to do so by seeking legal remedies before the competent authorities, which would rule on the merits of the case.

A representative of Chad said that the Government had received a communication from the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders on the subject of removal of nationality and had given a clear response. Decree No. 2300/PR/PM/MATD/2025 of 17 September 2025 was based on article 4 of the Nationality Code, which stated that the nationality of a Chadian citizen might be removed if he or she committed an act incompatible with that status. Remedies were available to individuals deprived of their nationality, including under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.

A representative of Chad said that members of the National Human Rights Commission were designated first by the bodies from which they were drawn and then selected by an ad hoc committee. The executive branch thus had no influence over the selection process. Regulations governing the mandate of Commission members had been adopted in 2023 and clearly stated that all members served a four-year term, renewable once.

A representative of Chad said it was true that the Commission faced financial difficulties, which were linked to those of the country as a whole. However, efforts were being made to ensure that the Commission effectively enjoyed the financial autonomy foreseen by law.

A representative of Chad said that discussions were under way with a view to bringing Act No. 028/PR/2018 of 22 November 2018 on the powers, organization and functioning of the Commission into line with the Constitution. The Commission carried out investigations and published its reports in accordance with the law and its own rules of procedure. It did so independently and without interference from the executive branch.

A representative of Chad said that the Commission was authorized to carry out visits to prisons, including unannounced visits, at any time.

A representative of Chad said that a state of emergency had been declared in 2021 and renewed in subsequent years by successive decrees. Its purpose was not political: it had been declared in the light of the challenging security situation in the region in order to ensure public safety and prevent outbreaks of violence. The state of emergency included restrictions on public gatherings and citizens’ movements, although the law provided for exceptions, such as health emergencies.

A representative of Chad said that the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority recovered the proceeds of corruption and took legal action against those who committed acts of corruption. Criminal proceedings had been opened in more than 20 cases, and 98 persons had been arrested and 38 prosecuted. Eighteen high-ranking officials had been placed in detention, while others had been suspended. Other measures included the freezing of assets and the seizure of property.

Mechanisms had been put in place to deal with reported cases of violence against women, and criminal proceedings had been brought. Centres had been established in which victims were provided with counselling and psychological, medical and legal advice. All measures were in conformity with the Criminal Code and the laws protecting women from violence.

A representative of Chad said that the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority had been established on 1 August 2023 and staffed since 16 May 2024. Its members, including the Comptroller General and Deputy Comptroller General, were appointed by decree; support staff were appointed by order of the Comptroller General. The Authority enjoyed financial independence, as it received monthly funding for its operations from the national oil refinery company.

A representative of Chad said that the authorities had recorded 470 cases of violence against women in 2023 and 624 cases in 2024. In all cases, victims had been referred to integrated multisectoral service centres and had received psychological care and legal assistance. The Maison nationale de la femme (National Women’s House) was an independent public institution, funded by regular grants, that provided a range of services for women. Those services included broadcasting by Voix de la femme (Voice of Women) radio station, which disseminated information on themes relating to the personal development of women, a counselling centre, and a shelter for women in distress as a result of violence. In the light of the positive results obtained, the Government had in 2021 taken steps to build women’s houses in all provinces, and expected that 10 would be established in 2026.

The meeting rose at 6.05 p.m.