DAKAR, Senegal — A court in Senegal on Thursday upheld the war crimes conviction of Hissène Habré, the former leader of a murderous government in Chad, keeping in place a life sentence and establishing a trust fund for the scores of victims who fought for years to bring him to justice.

It took an hour for the court to read a summary of its more than 200-page ruling on an appeal from Mr. Habré, who did not appear in court. He has dismissed the entire case against him as sham justice by a court that he contends has no jurisdiction over the case.

“Habré’s life sentence is a powerful message that the days when tyrants could brutalize their people, pillage their treasury and escape abroad to a life of luxury are coming to an end,” said Reed Brody, a lawyer who has doggedly pursued the case since 1999 on behalf of victims.

A special court created to hear Mr. Habré’s case in Senegal, where he has been living in exile, convicted him last May of crimes against humanity and torture. The panel of judges on Thursday threw out a sex crimes charge.