Max Kemkoye challenges legal status following release in Chad

Max Kemkoye, the national president of the Union des démocrates tchadiens (UDP), has addressed the media in N’Djamena to clarify his legal and political status following his recent release under a presidential pardon.

During a press conference, Kemkoye raised questions regarding the circumstances of his release, noting the contrast between his closed-door trial—which resulted in an eight-year prison sentence—and the high media presence during his release. He specifically challenged interpretations of a government communiqué from August 20, 2026, regarding the impact of his pardon on his civil and political rights.

Kemkoye argued that his conviction was handled under correctional rather than criminal procedures. Based on his interpretation of the Chadian Penal Code, he maintains that such a conviction should not automatically result in the loss of his civic and political rights.