Madagascar’s former Senate president, Richard Ravalomanana, has been sentenced to 10 years of hard labour for his alleged role in the violent crackdown on youth-led protests that contributed to the downfall of the country’s previous government.
Ravalomanana, a retired general and close ally of former President Andry Rajoelina, was convicted of complicity in murder by a court in the capital, Antananarivo, on Tuesday.
Prosecutors accused the former Senate chief of directing security forces to use violence against demonstrators during the so-called Gen Z protests in September and October 2025.
Ravalomanana denied the allegations and said his legal team would appeal the verdict.
The protests began over persistent electricity and water shortages before developing into a wider campaign against Rajoelina’s administration. At least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured during the unrest, according to United Nations figures cited by local media.
The demonstrations eventually triggered a political crisis that led to Rajoelina’s removal from office and the emergence of a new administration headed by Colonel Michael Randrianirina.
The crackdown was led by the gendarmerie, an institution in which Ravalomanana was said to have retained significant influence.
A state prosecutor alleged in December 2025 that Ravalomanana had directed violent actions to suppress the demonstrations.
He was removed as Senate president in October, shortly after the protests, and arrested at his home in December after reportedly failing to respond to a summons from the gendarmerie.
Ravalomanana subsequently spent about seven months in pre-trial detention at the high-security Imerintsiatosika prison outside Antananarivo.
He is among several senior officials linked to Rajoelina’s former administration who have faced legal proceedings following the change of government. He is also the subject of a separate corruption investigation.
However, a former national police chief who testified during the trial supported Ravalomanana’s account, saying he was not part of the operational chain of command and had not issued orders to police, gendarmes or soldiers deployed during the unrest.
His defence team also questioned the evidence connecting him directly to the violence.
The court dismissed a separate allegation involving a death threat after ruling that the case was too old to be prosecuted.
Ravalomanana, who was known for wearing a cowboy hat and displaying his military medals, had become a prominent symbol of the old power structure in the eyes of protesters.
His lawyers said they would challenge the conviction before a higher court.
