Senegal's state prosecutor Abdou Karim Diop has announced new judicial proceedings against the country's opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who is currently in custody following his arrest on Friday night.
Sonko was arrested after grabbing the mobile phone of a female law enforcement officer stationed outside his house.
“He will be sued for calling for insurrection; criminal conspiracy; threatening national security; plotting against the government; maneuvering to compromise public security and create serious political trouble; criminal conspiracy with a terrorist organisation; and theft,” said Diop in an address to the media. “We should also note that Ousmane Sonko himself admitted violently grabbing the mobile phone of a female gendarme.”
Speaking from Dakar, FRANCE 24’s Sam Bradpiece said that the announcement was bad news for the opposition leader.
“Having already been found guilty for defaming a government minister and corrupting the youth earlier this year, he now faces a litany of further charges,” he said. “Ousmane Sonko has been under house arrest since June, and it is unclear if he’ll be transferred to prison any time soon.”
