Nine people were killed in Senegal in clashes between police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. The court sentenced Sonko to two years in prison. In this way, his chances of running for president next year were reduced.
Sonko (48) did not attend yesterday’s sentencing for the alleged sexual assault. The Ministry of Justice announced that the opposition leader could now be taken to prison.
Police remained deployed around his home in Dakar, as unrest flared in the capital and elsewhere following the verdict. Sonko was accused of raping and threatening to kill a woman in 2021. The victim was 20 years old at the time and worked in a massage parlor.
He denies guilt and says the charges are politically motivated.
The court acquitted Sonko of the alleged rape. He was found guilty of a special offense described in the criminal code as immoral behavior towards persons under the age of 21.
