Sylvain Rabetsaroana, a former senator and presidential candidate, is being targeted by the Malagasy authorities in a broader post-coup crackdown on former regime figures since 14 October 2025. On 14 March 2026, he was arbitrarily arrested during a dawn raid at his residence in the capital, Antananarivo, by armed and masked soldiers, gendarmes and police, and held for two weeks without being informed of the reason for his detention. He was subsequently charged with criminal conspiracy, illegal firearms possession (with a firearm that appears to have been planted), and attempting to assassinate the Head of State. He remains held in pre-trial detention at Tsiafahy prison in overcrowded conditions, with major concerns for his deteriorating health. The Malagasy authorities must drop all charges against Sylvain Rabetsaroana and immediately release him as he is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights.
