Opposition chief’s now-dissolved social gathering says he was admitted for emergency care to a hospital in downtown Dakar.A Senegalese opposition chief who has been on a starvation strike in protest in opposition to his detention has been admitted to hospital, in line with his supporters.
Ousmane Sonko was hospitalised on Sunday on the Essential Hospital in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, in line with a press release from his now-dissolved social gathering, the Patriots of Senegal (PASTEF).
Sonko, 49, was arrested on July 28, and has been charged with plotting an rebel, undermining state safety and prison affiliation with a terrorist physique.
He started his starvation strike two days later.
PASTEF stated Sonko had been admitted for emergency care and held the authorities “accountable” for his situation.
“Previous to his imprisonment, he was in good well being and had no recognized diseases,” it stated.
Cire Cledor Ly, certainly one of Sonko’s legal professionals, confirmed the hospitalisation to the AFP information company however didn’t talk about his situation.
There was no fast remark from the Senegalese authorities.
Sonko, who positioned third within the West African nation’s presidential election in 2019, is standard with the nation’s youth.
His arrest and the dissolution of his social gathering ignited lethal protests in Dakar final week. At the very least two individuals died throughout the unrest, whereas a number of others had been wounded, in line with AFP.
The strikes additionally got here weeks after a choose convicted Sonko, in a separate case, of corrupting youth and sentenced him to 2 years in jail. That conviction sparked clashes that left 16 useless in line with the federal government, 24 in line with Amnesty Worldwide and 30 in line with PASTEF.
Sonko’s supporters keep the costs in opposition to him are a part of a authorities effort to derail his candidacy within the 2024 presidential election.
Individually, Sonko’s lawyer, Juan Branco, has been arrested in Mauritania, extradited to Senegal and is now in a Dakar jail, in line with officers.
Branco’s lawyer, Robin Bindard, stated on Sunday that his shopper is being held for alleged dissemination of false info, conspiracy in opposition to the state and different fees.
“The mission of a lawyer is sacred and you’ll’t reproach a lawyer for defending his shopper,” he stated.
Senegalese opposition chief on starvation strike hospitalised
