The exit of the Senegalese Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, Ismaëla Madior Fall announcing that the conviction of Ousmane Sonko in the case of morals which opposed him to Adji Sarr, surprised more than one. The French lawyer of Pastef’s leader, Juan Branco, was quick to react. On his account X (ex-Twitter), he retorts that the minister “lies about the penal code of his own country”, in a post he titled: “Plunged into the logic of an authoritarian power”
“In an interview with Jeune Afrique, this Thursday, August 31, 2023, the Senegalese Minister of Justice lies about the penal code of his own country,” the lawyer wrote.
Who seems to be surprised by this release of the minister. It is particularly revealing to see a Keeper of the Seals pronounce on an individual case in a foreign media, and even more, to see him lie about it in a shameless way”.
Before attacking the press that published the interview. It is also significant to see which medium is used for this purpose, in this case, a «press» organ that has long survived only thanks to the sale of advertorials in honor of the potentates of françafrique”.
According to the lawyer, Mr. SONKO is the main opponent of the Senegalese government, “whose president is a close ally of Emmanuel Macron”. Juan Branco: “Mr. SONKO, immensely popular, is an icon of the fight against corruption and françafrique, and threatens powerful interests. This led him to unfair proceedings, including rape charges for which he was acquitted, and to be sentenced in his absence to two years in prison for an offence for which he was not charged. This sentence, which is supposed to make him ineligible if it becomes final, was handed down on 1 June”.He also accused the government of wanting to make his client ineligible. Power has long sought to render ineligible, Mr. SONKO. Thus, a first defamation case was heard manu militari for this purpose, without success at this stage. This is how this new case tries to be used as a pretext to remove him from the electoral lists and thus prevent him from running in the elections of February 2024,” he said.
“In the meantime, he added, Mr. SONKO was arrested and detained for other reasons. The case is guignolesque: the Prosecutor initially justified his arrest by invoking a theft of mobile phone (sic), before, once the man placed in custody, to charge him with crimes of violation of state security, call for insurrection, terrorism, etc. It must be strange, for a presidential favourite, to pass in a few hours from a thief to a terrorist. Mr. SONKO, sent to pre-trial detention, immediately went on hunger strike and is currently in intensive care.” He believes that the Senegalese authorities are trying to save face.” Those authorities who have detained between 1,600 and 1,800 political prisoners, including lawyers, journalists, elected officials and activists, and who are piling them up in inhumane conditions, have since faced intense international pressure, and therefore try to save face”.
He recalled that: “Senegal has long been considered the pearl of law, an example in Africa. It is therefore very important to maintain appearances”.
According to him, “this is the meaning of this meeting of the Minister of Justice, sent to the front to convince the international opinion that everything is normal”.
Let’s deconstruct it patiently.
“The Senegalese law provides that when you have been tried in your absence, your arrest or constitution as a prisoner immediately annihilates the sentence in absentia of which you were the subject, so that a new trial is organized in accordance with your rights”says Branco.
Who adds: “It is a real rock in the shoe of power, because if they had to restart new procedures, they could not lead to a definitive condemnation before the elections of February 2024, and therefore prevent Mr. SONKO from being a candidate”.
