The coordinator of the Y’en à Marre movement and deputy coordinator of the F24 platform that includes several active groups in the country, Alioune Sané, was arrested on October 5th was arrested at his home by members of the urban security force of Dakar’s central police station following a warrant for his arrest.

The police brutally arrested Mr. Sané on May 28th while attempting to reach the home of opposition figure Ousmane Sonko in the Keur Gorgui neighbourhood (Dakar district).

The following day, he was charged for taking part in an undeclared demonstration and disturbing the peace. He was granted bail after 5 days in detention. The public prosecutor referred the case to the Indictments Division of the Dakar High Court to have the decision overturned.

On July 25th, the Indictment Division invalidated the decision before immediately issuing a detention order against the pro-democracy activist.

AfricTivistes as well as a number of civil society organisations, movements and opinion leaders are in solidarity with Aliou Sané.

AfricTivistes strongly condemns this harassment, the apparent aim to silence all dissenting voices in the country.

Article 10 of the Senegalese Constitution guarantees the right for all citizens to freely express and disseminate their opinions by word, pen, image and peaceful march. Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights stipulates that everyone has the right to assemble freely with others.

Civil society organisations have denounced the presence of “more than one thousand (1000) political prisoners” in various places of detention. According to them, many have been arrested for taking part in political opposition protests.

These detentions also herald a sad end for the regime of President Macky Sall, who announced on 3 July that he had given up his reported attempt on a third presidential term in office.

Noting these recurring abuses in a pre-electoral context, the Panel of the Wise of the African Union (AU) issued a statement on August 14th expressing its concern at the general democratic backsliding in Senegal, symbolised by “attempts to restrict civil liberties (…)”.

AfricTivistes strongly condemns these detentions, which are a serious infringement of freedom of expression and an obstacle to the exercise of the rights guaranteed by the Senegalese Constitution and international treaties.

We call for their immediate release and for the senegalese authorities to drop all charges against pro-democracy activists and political supporters arrested for political offences.

AfricTivistes believes that freedom of demonstration, peaceful assembly and expression are fundamental pillars of democracy that must be protected and preserved.

We therefore call on the senegalese government to treat its citizens with respect and to put an end to all forms of pressure (censorship, violence, arrests, etc.) aimed at silencing critical voices.