Affaire Abdou Aziz Diop : Le parquet réclame la prison ferme contre l'ancien conseiller de Macky Sall
Abdou Aziz Diop, 70, a professor of political science, is on trial before the Dakar court of flagrant offenses for speeches contrary to public morals against the president of the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko, and for insult committed through a computer system against a group of people.
During a YouTube broadcast, the teacher made discourteous remarks about Ousmane Sonko and his supporters. In court, Abdou Aziz Diop showed no remorse. "I acknowledge having made those remarks. But I do not acknowledge having committed a crime," declared the former special advisor to President Macky Sall.
He explains: “I made those remarks during a 1 hour 34 minute broadcast. The offending remarks didn't even last a minute. It was a rant directed at a group that doesn't exist. I made those remarks as an opponent. I lit a candle for a few seconds. And groups of people around the world extinguished that candle. I was aware they would react. They insulted me on social media for 72 hours,” he says before adding: “It's a group that belongs to the majority and is extremely protected.”
The judge asked him to identify the group to which his remarks were directed. Abdou Aziz Diop persisted: "It was a rant aimed at a group whose leader is Ousmane Sonko," the defendant insisted.
The judge pressed him further, asking, "Is it correct to call someone 'mbam all'?" Abdou Aziz Diop retorted, "Yes, it's correct in a democratic debate. But I'm not referring to wildlife. On the other hand, what characterizes Ousmane Sonko and his group is that they trample on everything that is in accordance with democracy. Ousmane Sonko harms society every day," he said.
His advisors tried to make him regret his remarks. But Abdou Aziz Diop remained steadfast in his position.
In his observations, the public prosecutor considered the defendant's remarks to be serious and to correspond to the criminal charges brought against him. "Freedom of expression does not mean saying and doing anything," argued the representative of the public prosecutor's office.
The prosecutor requested a sentence of six months imprisonment, including three months of mandatory imprisonment, as well as a fine of 500,000 FCFA.
The defense, led by lawyers Aboubacry Barro, Latir, and others, pleaded for leniency. Barro cited statements attributed to Ousmane Sonko, in which he urged Senegalese citizens to treat President Macky Sall like former Liberian President Samuel Doe, thus asking the court to show magnanimity towards Abdou Aziz Diop.
The case was adjourned for deliberation until July 7, 2026.
Commentaires (14)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.
Se connecter
Commentez avec votre profil, votre photo, et soyez averti des réponses.