Dec. 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Senegalese Prosecutor’s Office has requested two years in prison against two parliamentarians arrested after assaulting a pregnant deputy during a session held around two weeks ago in Parliament, in the midst of a brawl that broke out during a debate on the Budgets.
Thus, the Prosecutor’s Office has indicated that the defendants, Massata Samb and Mamadou Niang, “should not benefit from bail” and has stressed that “the question of parliamentary immunity does not apply in this case, taking into account article 51 of the internal legislation of the National Assembly”, according to the news portal Dakar Actu.
The accusation derives from the incidents during the session, which was being televised. During them, Samb slapped Deputy Amy Ndiaye Gniby, who then threw a chair at her to repel the attack. Following that, Mamadou Niang kicked him in the stomach after he had fallen to the ground.
However, Samb stated during the hearing that he “did not slap Ndiaye” and argued that he tried to “grab his handkerchief”. For her part, Niang has maintained that her intention was to “get in the way” when the parliamentarian threw a chair at Samb after the attack, as reported by Radio France Internationale.
The defendants’ defense has indicated that Ndiaye made “irreverent and out of place” statements against Serigne Moustapha Sy, religious guide and honorary president of the opposition Unity and Grouping Party (PUR), for which they have pointed to a “provocation” by the parliamentarian, who was not present at the hearing on medical recommendation due to her pregnancy.
In response, Baboucar Cissé, one of the deputy’s lawyers, said that the defendants “deny the obvious.” “The images were seen through all the television channels and social networks. They talk about a certain attack against their religious leader, but they are not in the Assembly thanks to their religious leader. They defend the interests of the people. It is a very good aggression planned,” he denounced.
Political tensions in Senegal have been on the rise since 2021 after the arrest of the main opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, accused of rape and death threats. His arrest led to anti-government protests that left at least thirteen dead and hundreds injured. The country held a legislative session on July 31 in which the government coalition lost its absolute majority by obtaining 82 of the 165 seats in Parliament, amid opposition criticism against Sall.
