A court in Guinea on Wednesday convicted former junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara and seven other military commanders of crimes against humanity for their roles in the 2009 stadium massacre.
Charges of murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping against them were reclassified as crimes against humanity, according to the court. Four additional defendants were acquitted.
At the time of the pro-democracy rally on September 28, 2009, where more than 150 people were killed, Camara, 60, was serving as Guinea’s ruler.
The judge sentenced Camara, who, like the other defendants, had denied the charges and pleaded not guilty, to 20 years in prison.
At a stadium in Conakry, tens of thousands of people had gathered to demand that Camara refrain from standing in the upcoming presidential election.
As security forces stormed the stadium, firing tear gas and charging at the crowd, many people were shot, stabbed, beaten, or crushed in the ensuing stampede.
Human rights groups and survivors also reported that an unknown number of women were raped.