Senegal opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko was on Monday officially charged with fomenting insurrection and has been placed in custody, his lawyer confirmed on Tuesday morning.
The outspoken politician had also been accused of stealing the mobile phone of a gendarme, whose vehicle had broken down near the politician’s home, and issuing a subversive message on social media.
Sonko, who was arrested at his home over the weekend has denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that on Sunday he announced he was going on hunger strike and invited all political detainees to join him.
Sonko, who is very popular among unemployed youth, has undergone a meteoric political rise in the last few years.
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Recall that in June, he was sentenced in absentia for two years in jail for immoral behavior towards individuals younger than 21 – that sentencing sparked violent demonstrations.
According to the Ministry of Communications, mobile internet access in Senegal was temporarily suspended to prevent disturbances to public order.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that a court in Senegal had sentenced Sonko to two years in jail for ‘corrupting youth’, but has cleared him of rape.
The ruling means he was found to have acted immorally towards an individual younger than 21.
The charges stemmed from allegations made by a massage therapist.
He denied any wrongdoing, and said the case was aimed at blocking his presidential ambitions. His supporters are protesting against the ruling.
Police are reported to have clashed with them in the capital, Dakar. Sonko, who boycotted the trial, remains at his house in the city.
One of his lawyers, Abdy Nar Ndiaye, said it was suspicious that the judge had not ordered the immediate arrest of the 48-year-old politician.