Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – In a fresh escalation of political tensions in Senegal, Moustapha Diakhaté, a prominent political figure and outspoken critic of the Sonko-Diomaye administration, has been summoned by the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC), arrested, and kept in detention on Tuesday.

The former chief of staff to President Macky Sall, Moustapha Diakhaté, was placed in police custody at the end of his questioning at the Criminal Investigations Division (DIC).

Me El Hadj Diouf, his attorney, explains that his client is probably going to face charges of “committing an offense against the Head of State,” in response to remarks made by Moustapha Diakhaté in the Senegalese media.

While in opposition, Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye criticized the criminal clause of “committing an offense against the head of state,” claiming that it is a colonial legal remnant used to limit free expression.

Now in power, not only did the duo not remove the disputed provision, but they have actively used it against various government opponents and detractors.

Abdoulaye Wade and Macky Sall, Sonko and Diomaye’s predecessors, made a commitment to repeal the controversial clause but never followed through on it after taking office.

Meanwhile, Moustapha Diakhaté denounces his latest arrest as a political maneuver, underscoring deepening anxieties over freedom of expression and the treatment of dissenting voices in the country.

Diakhaté, who was previously jailed for two months for “insult to a national community by a computer system” and “discourse contrary to morality,” issued a defiant statement on Tuesday, shortly before facing the police for interrogation. He announced his refusal to cooperate with investigators or sign any police statements, framing the summons as part of an orchestrated effort to send him back to Rebeuss Prison.

“The will of the Pastef regime is to send me again to Rebeuss,” he declared, describing the case as a politically motivated act of “relentlessness.” He urged his supporters not to visit him in the event of detention, saying, “I don’t want to disturb anyone” (“Bëguma Sonal Kenn”), and emphasized that any potential incarceration would be a direct consequence of his political convictions.

Nonetheless, he stressed that the only acceptable response to such repression is a peaceful, constitutional political struggle.

His stance has drawn a swift response from Thierno Bocoum, leader of the AGIR-LEADERS party, who warned of a “dangerous turning point” where “dissident opinions become offenses.”

Bocoum decried the move as a violation of Article 8 of the Senegalese Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights — all of which protect freedom of expression.

For Bocoum, the government’s approach reflects an alarming pattern: “Nothing justifies that a citizen is summoned for having expressed opinions, even hard ones, as long as they do not incite hatred or violence.” He accused the regime of responding to criticism through “intimidation” rather than substantive reforms and singled out the Prime Minister, who, according to Bocoum, has become “an eraser of opinions,” betraying his promises of transformative leadership.

This latest episode involving Diakhaté’s arrest highlights growing concerns about the shrinking space for political opposition in Senegal.

As Diakhaté himself concluded, “God bless Senegal,” the episode signals not only a personal trial for a veteran politician but also a test of the country’s democratic principles and its ability to protect free speech in an increasingly polarized political environment.