Guest France Detention of Juan Branco in Senegal: “We are in a political muzzling operation”
The Franco-Spanish lawyer Juan Branco, who defended the Senegalese opponent Ousmane Sonko, was arrested and imprisoned in Senegal on August 5th. He is notably facing charges of assassination and conspiracy. This arrest follows his referral to the International Criminal Court against Senegalese President Macky Sall for crimes against humanity.
As part of this case, we were able to interview Luc Brossollet, one of Juan Branco’s French lawyers. He gives us his analysis of the situation and explains the reasons which, according to him, are behind this arrest. For him, this is a real political muzzling operation aimed at silencing dissenting voices.
The arrest of Juan Branco in Senegal comes in a tense political context, marked by popular protests following the arrest of Senegalese opponent Ousmane Sonko. The latter faces charges of rape, charges which he denounces as being politically motivated.
According to Luc Brossollet, this arrest aims to intimidate people engaged in the defense of rights and justice. He points out that Juan Branco was arrested in Mauritania before being imprisoned in Senegal, which shows a desire to prevent him from leading his fight for truth and justice.
This arrest and the prosecution Juan Branco faces raise questions about the state of democracy in Senegal. Luc Brossollet believes that this is an attack on fundamental freedoms and denounces the instrumentalization of justice for political ends.
He calls for international mobilization for the release of Juan Branco and for the preservation of human rights in Senegal. According to him, it is essential that the international community condemns this repression and mobilizes in favor of justice and freedom of expression.
This case highlights issues related to the defense of rights and justice in many countries. It recalls the importance of guaranteeing the independence of justice and protecting dissenting voices fighting for truth and justice.
It is essential to continue to support lawyers and activists committed to the defense of human rights, in order to preserve the democratic foundations and protect fundamental freedoms