Madagascar’s exiled former president Marc Ravalomanana was sentenced yesterday to hard labour for life over what are known as the February 7, 2009 killings, his third sentence since his ouster.

“Mr Ravalomanana has been sentenced in absentia to hard labour for life for murder and being an accessory to murder,” said Hanitra Razafimanantsoa, a lawyer for the ousted president, in exile in South Africa since March 2009.

On February 7, 2009, the presidential guard fired without warning on a crowd making its way to the presidency, killing at least 30 people and wounding more than 100.

Of the 18 other co-accused in the trial, which took place last week in the capital Antananarivo, 14 were sentenced to hard labour for life.

The accused were defended by two assessors after their lawyers decided to walk out at the beginning of the hearing citing “flagrant abuse of the rights of the defence”, Razafimanantsoa said, adding she and her client had yet to decide if they would appeal.

“For him it’s not a ruling to be taken seriously for the justice system has been instrumentalised by the regime,” she said, adding: “The aim is to sentence him so he can’t return to Madagascar and run in future elections”.

This latest sentence in absentia is Ravalomanana’s third since his ouster. He was handed four years’ jail and a fine for a case of conflict of interest in the purchase of a $60 million presidential jet and five years’ hard labour over a land purchase.

He dismissed the sentence over the jet as meaningless.

The latest hearing made waves in the capital with supporters and opponents of the ousted president turning up in large numbers at the court.