A new hearing took place on Monday, May 27th, in the historic trial for the September 28th, 2009 massacre, marking the start of the defense’s closing arguments. On that tragic day, over 150 opposition supporters were killed by security forces under the regime of Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, and at least 109 women were raped in Conakry’s main stadium. Among the victims was Dame Aissatou Barry.
Dame Aissatou Barry, who was raped on September 28th, 2009, at the Conakry stadium, was absent from the courtroom. She had formally identified her assailant as Adjutant Mamadou Aliou Keita, a man she had known from her neighborhood. During his testimony, Adjutant Keita denied all accusations. Her sister, Fatoumata Barry, shared with Weafrica24:
“She knew Mamadou Aliou herself; she begged him to let her go, but he refused. Madame Aissatou recognized her rapist. It is only right that he answers for his actions today. We, as women, are here to defend and support Madame Aissatou because we suffered the same fate,” emphasized her sister.
During the hearing, Fatoumata Barry made a heartfelt plea to Adjutant Keita’s lawyer, Maître Salifou Beavogui: “Maître Beavogui should ask for forgiveness instead of denying what happened at the stadium. It’s unacceptable because everyone witnessed it. We won’t stand for this,” she insisted.
Maître Salifou Beavogui argued that his client, Mamadou Aliou Keita, was not the perpetrator of the assault on Dame Aissatou Barry: “This is a case of mistaken identity. I believe she must have seen Mamadou Aliou Keita from a distance and mistakenly identified him. But this cannot stand in court, not in a criminal tribunal. It’s one person’s word against another’s; this won’t hold up. Mamadou Aliou Keita will be acquitted and the charges will be dropped,” he assured.
The defense’s arguments, which began on Monday, May 27, will continue into the following week.