The Senegalese Prosecutor’s Office requests two years in prison for the parliamentarians who assaulted a pregnant deputy

Dec. 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Senegalese Prosecutor’s Office has requested a two-year prison sentence for the two parliamentarians arrested for assaulting a pregnant deputy during a legislative session, in the middle of a brawl that broke out during a debate on the Budgets and that was being televised live.

The parliamentarians Massata Samb and Mamadou Niang, both from the Yewwi Askan Wi (Let’s Free the People), are accused of “intentional assault and death threat” against the deputy Amy Ndiaye Gniby, as reported by the Senegalese newspaper ‘Le Soleil’.

The prosecutor in charge of the case has indicated that the National Assembly cannot be “a place where the elected representatives of the people put on a show”, and has asked the judge to protect the deputy, recalling “the impossible application of the suspension in this case “.

The lawyers for Ndiaye Gniby, who was absent from the session, have requested compensation of 500 million CFA francs –just over 762,000 euros– for damages.

The events occurred on December 1, when Samb slapped Ndiaye Gniby, who responded by throwing a chair at him to repel the attack. Following that, Niang kicked him in the stomach after he had fallen to the ground.

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.