Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on Monday on the “pre-election crackdown” in Senegal, denouncing it for repressing the opposition, media, critics and different civil society members. Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Senegal in February.
The report accuses the authorities, led by President Macky Sall, of arresting political opponents, stifling freedom of expression and utilizing safety forces to suppress dissent. The report particulars instances of arbitrary arrests, denial of due course of and allegations of torture in detention. Additional, journalists reportedly endure strain, arrests and self-censorship.
In line with the report, Senegal has been more and more focusing on opposition and media since 2021. Moreover, the report notes that civil society claims as much as 1,000 arrests, with issues about political manipulation and extreme power by safety forces. The report additionally criticized the Constitutional Council’s vetting course of for proscribing candidates. Authorities allegedly use the judiciary in opposition to opponents, resulting in extended pretrial detention. The Constitutional Council in Senegal manages presidential candidacies, compiles candidate lists, resolves election disputes and formally broadcasts election outcomes. Freedom of meeting can be allegedly curtailed, hindering political processes.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior Sahel researcher at HRW, said:
As Senegal heads to the polls, the stakes for its democracy are excessive; Senegalese authorities ought to provoke neutral, impartial, and efficient investigations into all instances of the usage of power by safety forces all through the pre-election disaster and be certain that safety forces respect the appropriate to show peacefully.
Senegal is a rustic situated in West Africa. It’s identified for its various tradition, vibrant music scene and historic significance as a former French colony. The capital metropolis is Dakar, and the official language is French. Senegal gained independence in 1960 and has since been acknowledged for its secure democracy within the area.
Nonetheless, in accordance with Freedom Home’s index for 2022, Senegal scores 68 out of 100, designating it as a “partly free” nation. This rating is lower than Senegal’s 2021 rating, which was 71. Moreover, latest politically motivated prosecutions and electoral legislation adjustments have impacted opposition competitiveness. Whereas the nation boasts comparatively impartial media, defamation legal guidelines constrain the liberty of the press. Challenges embrace authorities corruption, weak rule of legislation, and inadequate protections for ladies’s and LGBTQ+ rights.
Equally, Reporters With out Borders (RSF) ranked Senegal 104 out of 180 nations in its 2023 Press Freedom Index, down from 73 in 2022. Moreover, RSF reported media professionals in numerous political spheres confronted elevated arrests and violence main as much as the parliamentary elections in 2022. An investigative journalist was imprisoned for nearly two months, accused of endangering nationwide protection and spreading false information. Issues in regards to the security of journalists intensified as a consequence of pretrial detentions and assaults on reporters.
