A Dakar court on Tuesday gave a six-month suspended prison sentence to an opposition MP for defying a ban on demonstrations and acquitted another MP in the same case, in a climate of pre-election tension.
Opposition MPs Déthié Fall and Mame Diarra Fame were tried by the Dakar High Court along with 82 other defendants, who were all acquitted. They had been arrested on 17 June during a demonstration called by the opposition which had been banned by the authorities because of the “risk of unrest”.
Dakar and Casamance (south) had been the scene of clashes that day, resulting in three deaths, according to the opposition, which had estimated the number of people arrested across the country at 200 and demanded their release.
The deputy Déthié Fall “has constantly acknowledged having been the main organiser” of the 17 June demonstration. “It is appropriate to sentence him to six months suspended and a fine of 100,000 CFA francs (152 euros),” said the president of the court Ahmed Bâ.
For the deputy Mame Diarra Fame, “the facts of which she is accused are not sufficiently established. She is dismissed from the prosecution,” said Judge Bâ.
The prosecution had requested one year in prison, including six months for Mr. Fall and six months for Ms. Fame. The court acquitted their 82 co-accused because of “insufficiently established facts”.
When they arrived at the court on Monday morning, MPs Fall and Fame were cheered by the public who had come in large numbers to support them. The main opponent, Ousmane Sonko, was also present in the middle of several executives of his movement.