Senegalese Appeal Court Reduces Youth Activist Sentence

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Senegalese Appeal Court Reduces Youth Activist Sentence

Monday, 02 January 2012 21:07

(JollofNews) – The Senegalese Appeal Court on Monday reduced a two-year prison sentence handed down to the secretary general of Socialist Convergence.

Malick Noël Seck will now serve a four month jail term and could be out of prison as early as mid-next month.

The young Senegalese political activist whose youth movement is linked to the opposition Socialist Party (PS) was arrested on October 10th, 2011 and later found guilty of contempt of court. Malick-noel-seck

Mr Seck’s arrest followed an open letter he addressed to the president of the Senegalese Constitutional Council in which he stated that the third term candidacy of President Abdoulaye Wade is unconstitutional.

"When we take to the streets, we will come in bigger numbers for you to account for your actions. Life is expensive, and so is death. Joining forces in this situation requires dignity. No one will say we did not give you the opportunity to take a united stand with us," Seck wrote in the letter.

He was subsequently charged with making death threats against the members of the Constitutional Council and "contempt of court". On October 20, 2011 a court in Dakar handed down a verdict of two years which was today reduced to four months.

Reacting to the judgement, Mr Seck’s lawyer, Aissata Tall-Sall, said she was disappointed that her client was not acquitted of all charges by the Appeal Court.

“The letter contains no death threats and Seck should have been released,” she said.

Some legal analysts have also joined the fray, arguing that Seck’s letter cannot be seen as contempt of court, as members of the Constitutional Council are not magistrates of the Senegalese legal or administrative system.
Written by Abdoulie John