Guinea’s military releases political prisoners after pressure from West African leaders

Conakry

Ahead of a meeting of West African leaders to discuss their response to Sunday's coup that ousted President Alpha Conde, Guinea’s new military leaders have freed scores of political prisoners jailed by the previous civilian government.

According to reports, at least 80 political prisoners detained by Conde were released on Tuesday evening. All of them were held on a variety of charges, including breaching security, destroying public property and manufacturing weapons.

Some had campaigned against his attempt to stay in power for a third term after altering the constitution to permit it, a move opponents termed it illegal.

The move comes as the military junta faces growing international pressure to release the deposed president and restore civilian rule.

West African countries had threatened to impose sanctions following Conde’s overthrow.

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Coup leader Mamady Doumbouya, a former French legionnaire, has pledged to install a unified, transitional government, but has not said when or how that will happen.

Public discontent in Guinea had been brewing for months over a battered economy, which worsened after Covid pandemic, and the leadership of Conde, who became the first democratically elected president in 2010 and was re-elected in 2015.

But last year, Conde pushed through a new constitution that allowed him to run for a third term in October 2020.

The move sparked mass demonstrations in which dozens of protesters were killed. Conde won the October election but the political opposition maintained the poll was a sham.

Doumbouya, hours after taking power, appeared on television and accused the government of “endemic corruption” and of “trampling on citizens’ rights”.

(With inputs from agencies)