Violence erupts in Senegal's capital Dakar after a court sentences opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to two years' jail for 'corrupting youth' — a move that darkens his hopes of contesting presidential election next year
The violence came hours after the Dakar criminal court ruling against Sonko. The two-year-old case has deeply divided the West African state, sparking sporadic but deadly clashes that have battered the country's image of stability.
The court convicted him of"corrupting youth", which consists of encouraging the"debauchery" of a young person under the age of 21.The complainant, Adji Sarr, a former employee of the beauty salon where Sonko used to get massages, was under 21 at the time of the events. During proceedings, Sarr said Sonko had abused her on five occasions between late 2020 and early 2021.
"This verdict on command is the final stage in the plot hatched by Macky Sall and his henchmen", said Sonko's party in a press release.Ndeye Khady Ndiaye, the owner of the salon, was also sentenced to two years in prison for incitement to debauchery, but acquitted of complicity in rape."We are satisfied of Sonko's guilt", El Hadji Diouf, Adji Sarr's lawyer, told reporters.
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