Prosecutors asked a Guinea court Monday for a one-year prison sentence for a teacher and civil liberties advocate who has been jailed and charged with publicly insulting Conakry’s Grand Mosque imam.
Teacher Bella Bah Bah was charged and incarcerated on August 13, after being reported missing on August 8. His wife and a witness said he had been “abducted” while he was at his school in Conakry.
His arrest came just hours after he posted a controversial message on social media criticizing Mamadou Saliou Camara, chief imam of the capital’s Grand Mosque. He subsequently deleted the message.
During Monday’s hearing, the prosecution stated that the charges against Bah had been proven and asked the court to hand down an “exemplary” sentence of one year in prison without suspension.
Bah acknowledged some of the remarks attributed to him but said he had not intended to insult the imam. His defense argued for an acquittal.
One of his lawyers also pointed out that Imam Camara told local press has forgiven Bah and asked authorities for leniency.
Bah, a teacher and co-founder of private schools, is known for his biting social media commentary on political and social issues in Guinea.
In the controversial post, Bah called Imam Camara “dishonest, corrupt, manipulative,” and said “he is the moral guarantor of the injustice Guineans are subjected to.”
Critics of Guinea’s government are increasingly abducted or disappearing, while authorities regularly deny having knowledge of the occurrences.
Since General Mamady Doumbouya seized power in a 2021 coup, several political parties have been suspended, protests have been suppressed and numerous opposition and civil society leaders have been arrested, sentenced or forced into exile.
The court has scheduled its ruling for Wednesday. (Arab News)