Domestic
Disappearances: 30 cases in court, 20 others still under investigation
Justice Minister Fanirisoa Ernaivo presented an updated report on disappearance cases currently mobilizing Madagascar's judicial authorities. During an ecumenical service held in Analakely in memory of abduction victims, the Justice Minister indicated that 30 cases are now in the hands of the courts across the country. Among these 30 cases, twelve have already led to suspects being presented to prosecutors, including ten before the Court of First Instance in Antananarivo and two in regional courts. According to Fanirisoa Ernaivo, sixteen people have appeared before the Antananarivo prosecutor's office in connection with ten proceedings, eleven of whom have been placed in preventive detention. The minister also noted that 20 other cases remain under investigation by the gendarmerie and police. She confirmed that nine deaths are directly linked to recent disappearances and that authorities now conduct systematic autopsies on all bodies found. Victims found alive, as well as their relatives, will be questioned when their condition permits. The Justice Minister also revealed that three cases have resulted in confessions. One concerns the abduction of a girl in Ambositra, found dead after a ransom demand. Another appears to be linked to a settling of scores in the capital. In a third case, the main suspect reportedly admitted to committing the act to perform a sacrifice intended to bring him wealth. When asked about the hypothesis of a political destabilization operation, Fanirisoa Ernaivo stated that several individuals had already been identified, while assuring that investigations continue carefully to avoid any judicial error. Since January, 256 disappearances have been recorded by the Anti-Abduction Operational Command Center. 175 people have been found, with the minister explaining that 74% of cases involve voluntary departures linked to family conflicts. Finally, 35 bodies have been discovered since the beginning of the year, but Fanirisoa Ernaivo clarified that these deaths are not linked to the disappearance cases currently being investigated, with the exception of the nine officially recorded victims in these matters.
Source: Madagascar Tribune