A special court in Senegal began hearing evidence against the former ruler of Chad on Monday. Hissene Habre is charged with crimes against humanity.
The former president and his lawyers say the court does not have the power to judge him. They also said they would not take part in the trial. But officials forced Mr. Habre to attend the hearing on Monday.
The court is expected to hear from 100 witnesses during the trial. Rights groups and a Chad government committee accuse the former president of being responsible for more than 40,000 political killings. Mr. Habre led the country between 1982 and 1990. In 1990, he was ousted by Chad’s current leader, Idriss Deby, and fled to Senegal.
