Former President Sambi Sentenced To Life Imprisonment By Comoros Court

A court in Comoros on Monday handed down a life sentence for high treason to ex-president Ahmed Abdallah Sambi.

The 64-year-old was found guilty of providing Gulf-based stateless people with passports.

Between 2006 and 2011, Sambi served as the Indian Ocean archipelago's leader.

He was accused of embezzling millions of dollars under the "economic citizenship" scandal scheme after passing a law in 2008 allowing the sale of passports.

The cost, according to the prosecution, exceeded $1.8 billion, which is greater than the GDP of the underdeveloped country.

"They gave thugs the right to sell Comorian nationality as if they were selling peanuts," said Eric Emmanuel Sossa, a lawyer for civilian plaintiffs.

But Sambi's lawyer Jean-Gilles Halimi said there is no evidence of this money, adding that "no account was discovered".

Sambi declined to go to the trial because his attorneys claimed there was no assurance he would be treated fairly.

He once appeared in court with his defence, who asked the judge to abstain because the judge had previously served on the committee that decided to indict the defendant.

The former leader was initially charged with corruption but the case was later changed to high treason because the offence "does not exist in Comorian law," according to Halimi.

Before going on trial, Sambi had already served four years in prison, far longer than the allowed eight months. He was initially put under house arrest for upsetting the peace.

Azali Assoumani, the current president, is opposed by Sambi.