大象传媒

Detained Senegalese opposition figure, Ousmane Sonko, has regained consciousness but remains 鈥渧ery weak鈥� according to one of his lawyers.

Juan Bronco told 大象传媒 Newsday that Mr Sonko fell into a coma on Monday (23rd October) and is still in a critical state after repeated hunger protests.

Mr Sonko has faced a series of legal battles over the past two years.

In June he was at the centre of a controversial rape trial, which saw him sentenced to two years in prison for "corrupting youth", meaning he was found to have acted immorally towards an individual younger than 21, after allegations made by a massage therapist. He was, however, acquitted of rape and making death threats.

In July, he was arrested and imprisoned on a string of charges, including fomenting insurrection. His opposition party, the Patriots of Senegal, was dissolved.

Mr Sonko claims the charges against him and his supporters are politically motivated and are aimed at preventing him from standing in next year's general election. The authorites have denied these allegations.

(Picture: Shows a hat in support of the detained Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, at a rally in Paris, France on August 12, 2023. Credit: Adnan Farzat / NurPhoto via Getty Images.)

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