Over 130 opposition and civil society members in Senegal have been released from prison since Thursday, with approximately 90 more expected to be freed on Friday, as reported by the Ministry of Justice to media.
These releases coincide with President Macky Sall’s efforts to address public concerns and resolve the crisis stemming from the recent postponement of the presidential poll, a decision overturned by Senegal’s Constitutional Council on Thursday.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that 134 individuals have been released since Thursday, but Souleymane Djim, a member of the collective of families of political prisoners, stated that 156 detainees were released on Thursday, and a total of 500 are anticipated to be released soon.
Attributing the releases to international pressure, Djim mentioned, “President Macky Sall is ordering some releases.” Lawyer Cheikh Koureissy Ba noted on Thursday that the majority of his clients involved in politically motivated cases have been released, affecting several dozen detainees.
However, there is no indication of the possible release of opposition figurehead Ousmane Sonko and his second in command Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who have been in detention since 2023.
Since 2021, when Sonko initiated a contentious standoff with the state, resulting in deadly unrest, several hundred opposition members—according to some rights organizations, more than a thousand—have been arrested.