Aliou Bah, a prominent opposition leader and head of the Liberal Democratic Movement (MoDel), has been arrested for allegedly “insulting” Guinea’s interim military president, according to his lawyer and party officials.
Bah was detained on Thursday while traveling to neighboring Sierra Leone with two colleagues. His lawyer, Antoine Pepe Lamah, described the arrest as politically motivated, calling Bah a “prisoner of conscience.” Lamah asserted that Bah’s only offense was criticizing the state for the growing incidents of kidnappings and forced disappearances.
Human rights groups have condemned Bah’s detention, raising concerns about increasing repression under Guinea’s military government.
The arrest is part of a broader crackdown following the 2021 coup that brought General Mamady Doumbouya to power after ousting civilian president Alpha Condé.
Recent months have seen a string of alarming incidents, including the disappearance of two opposition figures detained in July, the deaths of a former military chief of staff and other high-profile individuals under unclear circumstances, and the arrest of a journalist whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Opposition groups have accused the interim government of widespread human rights violations, fueling tensions in a nation already grappling with political instability.