The Senegalese justice system announced this Friday the launching of an international arrest warrant against Juan Branco, French lawyer for Senegalese opponent Ousmane Sonko, for “crimes and misdemeanors” in relation to the riots that occurred in early June in Senegal.
“After having received the compilation of the statements, writings and posts” from the lawyer, “elements were noticed that, evidently, are likely to compromise his criminal responsibility”, affirms a press release from Parquet transmitted to AFP on Friday, announcing “the opening of a judicial investigation”. In addition, “an arrest warrant has been requested against him,” the text adds.
The Dakar denounces a “childish and ridiculous” action
Juan Branco announced on June 22 that he had filed a complaint in France and a request for an investigation at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Senegalese President Macky Sall for “crimes against humanity” after the worst riots he has ever experienced. acquaintance. Senegal in early June for years.
These proceedings for “crimes against humanity” are also addressed to Senegal’s Minister of the Interior, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, General Moussa Fall, commander of the Senegalese gendarmerie, as well as a hundred “other persons”, and refer to the period of “March 2021 to June 2023”. .
This action before international and French justice had been described as “childish and ridiculous” by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Senegal, Aïssata Tall Sall.
A report from the Quai d’Orsay
Oppositionist Ousmane Sonko’s two-year prison sentence on June 1 sparked serious riots in Senegal, officially killing 16 and 30 according to the opposition.
His arrest, following an allegation in a sex scandal, helped spark several days of deadly riots, looting and destruction in March 2021 that left at least a dozen people dead.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this Thursday to AFP that it had made a report to the French judicial authorities after the revelation by the lawyer Branco, in “recent publications”, of the identity of officials of the French Embassy in Senegal , in connection with the riots in Senegal.
Ousmane Sonko denounces a conspiracy to exclude him from the February 2024 presidential elections and his party estimates the number of “political detainees” at several dozen. The government denies both charges.
On July 3, Macky Sall, elected in 2012 for seven years and re-elected in 2019 for five years, announced that he will not run for a new presidential term in 2024.
Source: BFM TV
