2023-06-02 02:14:32
Nine people have been killed in clashes between riot police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko in Senegal. The protests broke out following a verdict in parts of Dakar and other cities, Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome said on state television in the early hours of Friday. A court had previously sentenced Sonko to two years in prison.
The ruling puts Sonko’s chances of running for president next year in question. “With this verdict, Sonko cannot run,” said one of his lawyers, citing Senegalese election law. Sonko is accused of raping and threatening to kill a 20-year-old massage parlor worker in 2021. The court acquitted Sonko of the charge of rape but found him guilty of the offense of immoral behavior towards persons under the age of 21.
Sonko denies wrongdoing and says the allegations are politically motivated. The accused did not take part in the court hearing, but can now be transferred to prison at any time.
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