Following a mass trial for protests, Chad imprisons over 260 individuals.

401 individuals were tried in Koro Toro jail for participating in anti-government demonstrations that took place in October.

More than 260 people who were detained following anti-government demonstrations in October received prison sentences in Chad ranging from two to three years, despite defense attorneys' claims that the trial was "illegal".

Last week, a mass trial involving 401 individuals took place in the high-security Koro Toro prison, which is situated in the desert 600 kilometers (375 miles) from N'Djamena, the country's capital.

Public prosecutor Moussa Wade Djibrine stated during a news conference on Monday that 262 people received jail sentences, 80 received suspended sentences, and 59 were found not guilty.

Only state TV was permitted to broadcast the trial during its final four days, and the punishments were announced on Monday after the prosecutor had gone to the nation's capital.

The defendants were accused of participating in an unauthorized gathering, destroying property, setting fire to property, and disturbing the peace.

An official count indicates that on October 20, police opened fire on protesters in N'Djamena and many other cities, killing 50 people overall, including 10 members of the security forces.

However, opposition groups claim that the actual number was significantly higher and that a mass murder of defenseless citizens took place.

The brutal crackdown and the use of violence against civilians were criticized by regional and international NGOs, the European Union, and the African Union.

Due to the "illegal" relocation of the trial out of the public eye, Chadian attorneys boycotted the proceedings. The Chad Bar Association called the trial a "parody of justice" because the defendants were "kidnapped" and "deported" to Koro Toro, and many people stopped working both during and after it.

The bar declared that it would challenge the court's judgment.

The demonstrations were organized to coincide with the original deadline by which Chad's ruling military committed to relinquish control, which has subsequently been delayed by two years.

Strongman General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno charged the protesters of staging a "insurrection" and coup attempt.

Idriss Deby Itno, Deby's father, who had ruled the parched Sahel state for 30 years, died in an operation against rebels in April 2021, and Deby, at 38, assumed power.

The government had previously claimed that 601 persons, including 83 kids, had been detained and transported to Koro Toro in the N'Djamena region alone.

According to AFP, the prosecutor announced on Monday that over 80 juveniles who had been detained there had been sent to N'Djamena where they would stay in detention until their appearance in a special juvenile court.