According to the tourism minister’s attorney, El Hadji Diouf, the country’s prominent opposition figure and presidential candidate Ousmane Sonko was given a two-month sentence with probation on Thursday for libel.
In an apparent attempt to diffuse a standoff with his fans, who have regularly turned to the streets to oppose what they claim is a politically driven campaign, the sentence will not preclude him from standing in elections next year.
Another attorney, Pierre-Olivier Sur, who is also defending the tourist minister, claimed that the decision was one of appeasement.
The punishment is moderate in that it preserves Sonko’s civil liberties, political rights, and ability to participate in public discourse.
The 48-year-old Sonko was charged with libel for claiming that the tourism minister had embezzled money. He earlier stated that the accusations against him were an attempt to remove him from the presidential election, and he has since denied any misconduct. This charge is denied by the administration.
Violent protests have broken out all over the nation as a result of the libel trial and another case where Sonko is accused of sexual abuse. In the sexual assault case, Sonko has likewise denied any misconduct.