Lawyer Khoureychi Bâ made the announcement. Dame Mbodj, Abdou Karim Gueye aka Karim Xrum Xax and all persons apprehended by the national police on Saturday, February 27, 2021 were released.They were being prosecuted for participation in a prohibited demonstration and violation of Order No. 00-2555 dated February 19, 2021. After their detention at the central police station in Dakar, the police proceeded to their release around the afternoon, on Monday 1 March 2021, after a final hearing.
Members of the “The People” movement, who were arrested during their banned demonstration on Saturday, February 27, were released. The best known are Dame Mbodji, general secretary of the Authentic Cusems, and rapper and activist Abdou Karim, better known as Karim Xrum Xax. “The releases continue. The Commissariat Central gradually empties itself of its guests, who leave the premises in small groups. Karim GUÈYE XRUM XAX and Dame MBODJ free!” , inform their lawyer, Me Khoureychi Bâ.
This release comes after a strong pressure exerted by teachers, on strike on Monday 1 March, to demand the release of detained citizens as part of the exercise of their constitutional right.
Civil society and human rights organizations in Senegal were also opposed to these arbitrary detentions. However, other detainees such as Clédor Sène and activists Guy Marius Sagna and Assane Diouf are placed under warrant of committal and should face the judge. The latter are accused of fomenting a movement of violence following the disclosure of an audio message in which Clédor Sène calls for the uprising. Assane Diouf and Guy Marius Sagna were named in this message sent to a group but which unfortunately leaked. They are therefore prosecuted for “association of criminals, participation in an insurrectionary movement and acts of a nature to disturb public order.”
As a reminder, these demonstrations were organized to denounce, according to them, “the dictatorship of President Macky Sall” and “the orchestrated plot against the opponent and leader of Pastef les Patriotes, Ousmane Sonko”. The latter is accused of repeated rapes and death threats by a young masseuse named Adji Sarr.
