Gambiaj.com – (BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau) – A Regional Military Court in Guinea-Bissau has suspended the pre-trial detention of opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira for three months on humanitarian and legal grounds, allowing him to travel to Portugal for urgent medical treatment.
The decision is contained in a court order dated July 22, 2026, signed by Military Criminal Investigating Judge Mamadú Embaló. It follows a request filed by Simões Pereira through his lawyers, which received the support of the Military Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the ruling, the suspension was granted after a medical assessment concluded that Guinea-Bissau lacks the capacity to provide the treatment he requires.
Court cites medical necessity.
The judge relied on a medical certificate issued by Dr. Domiciano Bernardo Naocam Mango of the Main Military Hospital in Bissau, which stated that Simões Pereira’s condition cannot be adequately treated in Guinea-Bissau and that treatment in Portugal is “absolutely indispensable.”
Under Article 164 of Guinea-Bissau’s Code of Criminal Procedure, the court ordered the suspension of the detention order for three months.
However, the relief comes with strict conditions. Simões Pereira has been barred from engaging in any political party activities during the suspension period and must continue to comply with all legal obligations linked to his procedural status. The court said his case will be reassessed after the three-month period expires.
Leaves for Portugal
Local media reported that Simões Pereira was released shortly after the court’s decision became public.
According to Radio Capital FM, citing sources close to the case, the former president of the National People’s Assembly was seen at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport preparing to depart for Portugal to begin his medical treatment.
The court order had reportedly been transmitted to the Ministry of Interior for implementation before his release.
Detained since 2025 coup
Simões Pereira, a former prime minister and the leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), has been in detention since November 26, 2025, following the military takeover that interrupted the country’s legislative and presidential elections. He has been accused of economic crimes and involvement in an alleged coup attempt in October 2025, which he denies.
He was previously detained on the day of the coup last year but then moved to house arrest in February, in an apparent attempt to appease ECOWAS. Pereira was ordered back to prison on July 10.
Last Sunday, the West African bloc ECOWAS urged Guinea-Bissau’s military-led government to unconditionally release all detained political figures, including opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira, at the conclusion of a summit meeting of heads of state in Sierra Leone.
Military prosecutors accuse him of financing an alleged attempted coup in October 2025, allegations that have formed the basis of his prolonged detention under the transitional authorities.
His release does not amount to the dismissal of the charges. Instead, it temporarily suspends the preventive detention measure solely to enable him to receive medical care abroad, with the military court expected to review his legal status after the three-month suspension ends.
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