Guinea Military Government Detains Press Union Chief Over Protests

A Guinean court on Monday ordered the detention of the head of a press union who last week called for demonstrations against internet and media restrictions, a judicial official said.

For several weeks, access to the internet has been severely limited in the West African nation, which has been ruled by military leaders since a 2021 coup.

Authorities have also imposed restrictions on non-official media, with social networks and private radio stations cut off, news websites interrupted or suspended and journalists assaulted or arrested.

Sekou Jamal Pendessa, secretary general of the Union of Press Professionals of Guinea, SPPG, was questioned for around two hours at a court in the suburbs of the capital Conakry.

The court then ordered his detention at Conakry prison for "participation in an unauthorized demonstration," the judicial official told AFP.

"This is another flagrant case of human rights violations by the transitional authorities," said Pendessa's lawyer, Salifou Beavogui, referring to the country's military leaders.

The Union of Press Professionals of Guinea, SPPG had called for a demonstration last Thursday "to free the media and social networks."

The authorities, who banned all demonstrations in 2022, had warned they would crack down on any gathering.

Pendessa was arrested on Friday as he left court after he had gone to support colleagues who had been arrested during Thursday's protest but have since been released.