A top Senegalese court has ruled against opposition politician Ousmane Sonko in his appeal against a libel conviction. Sonko has been fighting a string of cases that have stymied his chance of standing for election.
The Supreme Court of Senegal has upheld a six-month suspended sentence for jailed opposition leader Ousmane Sonko for defamation.
The 49-year-old, who has filed to take part in next month's presidential election, is at the center of a dispute with the state that has lasted more than two years.
Why is the decision important?
Sonko — who has a dedicated following among Senegal's disaffected young people — is viewed as a strong potential candidate in the contest to succeed President Macky Sall, who is standing down after two terms. Sall is seen as having handpicked his prime minister, Amadou Ba, to be the presidential candidate for his ruling coalition.
The standoff has sparked repeated episodes of deadly unrest. Sonko's chances of running for president could be finally scuppered by the latest court decision.
Senegal's electoral commission is reviewing applications for the February 25 election and is due to publish a final list of cleared presidential candidates by January 20.
Senegal's Constitutional Council is also expected to rule on the matter later on Friday.
Sonko's pan-Africanist rhetoric and tough stance on former colonial power France has found favor with Senegal's large population of unemployed youth.
He has enjoyed a meteoric political rise in the last few years, being elected to parliament and becoming mayor of the southern city of Ziguinchor.
What did the court say?
"The sentence and fines have been confirmed. Sonko lost on all counts," state lawyer El Hadji Diouf said after the ruling was delivered by Supreme Court Judge Abdourahmane Diouf.
The state lawyer hailed the verdict, announced early on Friday, as a "great victory" and added that Sonko was "now totally banned from taking part in an election."
Lawyers representing Sonko confirmed the ruling but declined to comment on his eligibility to run for the country's top job.
Since a judge ordered that Sonko be reinstated on the electoral list, Sonko's camp has maintained he still has the right to contest the presidential vote.
However, the state has refused to provide him with the necessary documentation to stand.
What are Sonko's legal woes?
Sonko came third in the 2019 presidential election but was handed a two-month suspended prison sentence and a hefty fine in March for defamation and insults against Senegalese Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang.
An appeal court later extended the term to six months. According to the law, Sonko cannot contest the election while this conviction is upheld.
Sonko was initially removed from the list of candidates after he was sentenced to two years imprisonment in June for morally corrupting a young person.
He has been imprisoned since the end of July, facing other charges, including inciting insurrection, conspiracy with terror groups, and compromising state security. Sonko has denied the charges, claiming they are politically motivated.
Source: Dw
Comments