Senegal could soon join the list of African countries that have adopted specific laws to protect human rights defenders. This perspective is supported by a report from the Senegalese coalition of human rights defenders, presented this Thursday, December 26 to support advocacy initiated for several years.
According to Seydi Gassama, executive director of Amnesty International Senegal, the document reports on the current situation of human rights defenders in the country and suggests ways to strengthen their protection. “We ourselves developed a preliminary draft law which was submitted to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice. The latter are very favorable to its adoption,” he said.
The coalition hopes to see this text adopted before the end of the first quarter of 2025, thanks to reinforced dialogue with the new parliament. “Protecting human rights defenders means above all protecting civic space: guaranteeing freedom of expression, association and opinion,” underlines Mr. Gassama.
In the course of their work, human rights defenders are often exposed to accusations of defamation or spreading false news, offenses which the coalition says constitute an obstacle to their activities.
Towards decriminalization of offenses linked to freedom of expression
For Seydi Gassama, it is urgent that the Senegalese state commit to the decriminalization of these offenses. “If someone commits these crimes, they should be prosecuted civilly and pay damages, rather than risking a criminal sentence,” he argues.
This model is inspired by other countries in the sub-region, such as Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have already put in place specific laws to protect actors of civil society.
This initiative could mark a decisive turning point for the protection of human rights in Senegal, while consolidating the country’s democratic foundations. For now, the project remains dependent on the commitment of parliamentarians and the support of the authorities to translate this ambition into reality.
