Paul Rafanoharana Maillot, a 62-year-old former French-Malagasy gendarme who had been detained in Madagascar since August 2021 for an alleged attempted coup, was pardoned on Sunday, October 12, by President Andry Rajoelina. Seven other detainees, including Philippe François, a French national who was also convicted in the same case, were also pardoned.

The timing of the decision coincided with the evacuation of the embattled Malagasy president first to the nearby French island of La Réunion via a French military plane, and then on to Dubai. The release of Rafanoharana Maillot was seen as a gesture of gratitude from Rajoelina toward French President Emmanuel Macron.

Upon his release, the French embassy invited the gendarme to fly to France. But the graduate of Saint-Cyr, a military school in France, chose to comply with his release certificate, which required him to be “handed over to the Malagasy authorities.” He was taken to the base of the Capsat military unit to meet Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who led the mutiny that brought down Rajoelina on Tuesday, October 14.

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