00:00Four people have become the first to face charges related to the deadly political unrest in Senegal between 2021 and
00:082024.
00:09They stem from violent demonstrations during President Maki Sal's tenure, which left dozens dead and injured.
00:16Protests were triggered by concerns that Sal was trying to muzzle his opponents and cling to power past the end
00:22of his mandate, which he denied.
00:24The standoff, exacerbated by the arrest of his political rival Ousmane Sonko in 2023, was one of the most violent
00:31episodes in Senegal since its independence from France in 1960.
00:35Those charged are accused by alleged victim Pape Abdullahi Touré of acts of unlawful confinement, illegal abduction, torture and violence
00:44he says he suffered in June 2023.
00:47The specific charges of crimes against humanity or complicity in these acts makes it possible to circumvent the amnesty law
00:55that covers political violence during that period.
00:58Lawyers for the Four have denied their clients involvement in the case.
