Civil society groups and political parties in Guinea have called for the immediate release of opposition leader Aliou Bah, who was arrested last week for allegedly insulting the head of the military government, General Mamady Doumbouya.
Bah leads the Liberal Democratic Movement (MoDel).
He was detained on Thursday as he was travelling to neighbouring Sierra Leone.
The arrest of Bah marked the latest action in a growing crackdown on political freedoms by the junta that came to power following the coup in 2021, which ousted civilian president Alpha Conde.
In response to the detention, more than 150 academics and journalists issued a statement condemning the “arbitrary” arrest and denouncing the ongoing repression of opposition voices in Guinea.
The statement also condemned the junta’s broader policy of silencing dissidents and suppressing freedoms.
Since the coup, numerous opposition figures have been detained, exiled, or put through legal processes.
The detention of two prominent anti-junta activists earlier this year and the mysterious deaths of high-ranking officers further illustrate the regime’s harsh approach to dissent.
Under mounting international pressure, the junta had promised to transition to civilian rule by the end of 2024, but it has since made clear it intends to retain power indefinitely.
The calls for Bah’s release are part of broader concerns over the state of human rights and democracy in the country.
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