Freedom of expression debate resurfaces in Senegal --[Reported by Umva mag]

The successive arrests this week of Bougane Gueye Dany, Cheikh Yerim Seck and Kader Dia, a politician, journalist and columnist respectively, have provoked reactions in Senegal.

Charged with offences including spreading false news, they were released by the public prosecutor on Thursday after being held for several hours.

Civil society organisations and sections of the press have accused the new authorities of threatening freedom of expression by arresting people for expressing their opinions. However, supporters of the new regime believe that the release of these personalities demonstrates the break promised by the Bassirou Diomaye Faye – Ousmane Sonko tandem and the independence of the judiciary.

Bougane Gueye, leader of the Gueum Sa Bopp (Believe in Yourself) movement and businessman, was taken into custody on Wednesday after his hearing by the cybercrime police, charged with public insult and spreading false news. In a public statement, he contested the remarks made by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who, in an outing with the government, accused the former regime of Macky Sall of falsifying the figures on Senegal’s public debt.

Mr Gueye, who is also the CEO of the DMedia press group and of the SEN TV channel, where Kader Dia presents political programmes, was released after his interview with the prosecutor, although he had prepared for his arrest by bringing a bag full of his personal belongings. He stated that his statements were directed against Ousmane Sonko, the leader of the Pastef party.

“We have always fought against the abuse of power and no one will be able to divert us from our path. We call on the people not to give people like them a majority in the National Assembly,” said Bougane on Thursday evening after his release. Senegalese will go to the polls on 17 November to elect their new representatives to parliament, after President Faye dissolved the National Assembly on 12 September.

Kader Dia was arrested on Monday for comments he made accusing police officers of corruption in connection with irregular migration. During a broadcast following the discovery of a pirogue full of bodies of alleged migrants off the coast of Dakar, he claimed that police officers were facilitating the passage of pirogues in exchange for bribes. After two invitations by the prosecution, the public prosecutor decided to drop the case against Dia and release the columnist.

Cheikh Yerim Seck, a former Jeune Afrique journalist turned political analyst, was also arrested by the police last Tuesday. He was questioned about his objections to the figures presented by the prime minister on the management of public finances under the Macky Sall regime. Charged with defamation and spreading false news, Mr Seck was referred to the public prosecutor on Wednesday before the prosecutor closed the case without further action.

Despite the release of the three men, the Y’en A Marre civic movement criticised the current leaders, insisting that the Senegalese people no longer wanted to experience the restrictions on freedom of expression imposed by the previous regimes.

“We will not allow this regime to sink into excesses. We will not accept the instrumentalisation of the judiciary,” said Thiat and Aliou Sané, two figures in this movement who played a major role in the departure of former President Abdoulaye Wade in 2012.

“What was not tolerated under Macky and Wade will not be tolerated under Diomaye,” they warned.

On the other hand, Moundiaye Cisse, another civil society figure, welcomed the justice ministry’s stance on these cases, but called on political actors to “raise the debate” and avoid verbal abuse in public space.

ODL/ac/lb/as/APA

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