In Senegal, the recent convictions of journalist Bachir Fofana and opposition politician Moustapha Diakhaté have raised fresh concerns about the state of free speech and judicial independence in the country.
Though both men have now been released, their legal teams argue that the rulings reflect a broader effort to stifle dissent.
Bachir Fofana was arrested on June 27 after he publicly questioned a public procurement deal involving the National Assembly.
He was sentenced to a two-month suspended prison term and fined 200,000 CFA francs for “spreading false news.”
His conviction has triggered alarm among press freedom advocates who view the decision as a warning to investigative journalists.
Meanwhile, Moustapha Diakhaté, once a close ally of President Macky Sall, was sentenced to two months in prison, including 15 days behind bars—which he has already served—for allegedly insulting the head of state.
His release, like Fofana’s, came on July 30, but both cases have been seen by critics as politically motivated.
“The convictions are intended to silence,” said El Hadji Diouf, the lawyer representing both men.
He condemned what he described as a “strategy of intimidation” aimed at muzzling government critics.
These verdicts come at a time of mounting tension within Senegal’s legal system. Judges and legal professionals are currently on strike, and several prominent figures from the previous administration have been arrested. In response, a coalition of lawyers has submitted complaints to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
For many observers, the trials of Fofana and Diakhaté reflect a judiciary under pressure and a political environment increasingly hostile to dissent. The journalist’s reporting on suspected irregularities in parliamentary vehicle contracts and the opposition figure’s sharp criticisms of leadership appear to have crossed a red line.
Their legal teams have vowed to appeal, seeking full acquittals and warning that these convictions set a dangerous precedent for freedom of speech in Senegal.
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