Guinea Jails Opposition Leader for Insulting Junta Chief
(Bloomberg) -- A Guinean court sentenced opposition leader Mamadou Aliou Bah to two years in prison for insulting the nation’s transitional president, General Mamadi Doumbouya.
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The leader of the Mouvement Democratique Liberal party was arrested at Guinea’s border with Sierra Leone last month and was later sued for defamation. His sentencing followed a High Court hearing in Conakry, the capital, on Tuesday.
Bah denied any wrongdoing and plans to appeal the decision, his lawyer Pepe Antoine Lama told reporters. “The decision of the court is a blow to Guinean democracy and a real regression in the process of building the rule of law,” he said.
Bah’s conviction came a day after the opposition and civil rights groups staged protests in Conakry, calling on the junta to quit following thee expiration last month of a deadline to hold elections that was agreed with the Economic Community of West African States. They also demanded an end to media intimidation and Bah’s release.
Doumbouya seized power in 2021 after incument leader Alpha Conde amended the constitution to increase presidential terms to six years from five and sought reelection after completing a second term in 2020.
Guinea is the world’s biggest exporter of bauxite, a raw material used to make aluminum. The country also has the world’s largest untapped iron ore deposit, which companies including Rio Tinto Plc are preparing to exploit.
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