Offense à un chef d’État étranger : Le journaliste Doudou Coulibaly condamné
On Monday, August 25, 2025, journalist Doudou Coulibaly appeared before the Dakar flagrante delicto court on charges of insulting a foreign head of state, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and insulting a person exercising all or part of the prerogatives of the President of the Republic, in this case Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
During the hearing, the defendant contested the charges against him, while expressing regret. Explaining his remarks made during a television program, Coulibaly said: "At the beginning of the program, we were presented with a press release announcing Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko's official visit to Turkey, where he would be welcomed by President Erdoğan. On the question of counterparts, I said: 'It's the leader of the bandits who invites a bandit.'" He added: "It was in the oral form, I blurted it out like that, all at once. If it had been in the written press, I would have had more perspective. I could have said that it's a lion who invites a lion." "Asked by the judge about the definition of the term "bandit," Coulibaly replied: "I don't define a bandit as someone who causes harm to society, but rather as a strategist who got out of a situation. I would never have called a President of the Republic or a Prime Minister a bandit. It wasn't premeditated."
Regarding allegations that he accused the Turkish president of killing an opponent, he defended himself: "I meant that the president is accused. It was in Wolof, and my Wolof betrayed me." He clarified that he did not name either Erdoğan or Sonko explicitly. His lawyers, Ibamar Diop, El Hadji Diouf, Abdou Dialy Kane, Aboubacry Barro and Bamba Mbaye, asked him if he regretted his remarks, to which he replied in the affirmative. Prosecution submissions and defense arguments The public prosecutor considered that Coulibaly had publicly offended the Prime Minister of Senegal and a foreign head of state, describing his remarks as "irresponsible and disrespectful." Arguing that the facts were established, he requested a six-month prison sentence, three of which were firm, accompanied by a fine of 500,000 FCFA. The defense, represented by Mr. Aboubacry Barro, argued for fairness: "Someone said that we have a legitimate president and a legal president. Why hasn't he been arrested?" Mr. Abdou Dialy Kane challenged the legal validity of the offense of insulting a person exercising the prerogatives of the president, arguing that it does not exist in the penal code. Citing the defendant's fragile state of health, he requested a benevolent application of the law. His colleagues, Mr. El Hadji Diouf and Mr. Bamba Mbaye, argued for a postponement of the prosecution without penalty or costs.
Court verdict
At the end of the trial, the court acquitted Doudou Coulibaly of the charge of insulting a person exercising all or part of the prerogatives of the President of the Republic. However, it found him guilty of insulting a foreign head of state. The journalist received a three-month suspended prison sentence.
Commentaires (10)
Ce qu'on aurait sanctionné lourdement par contre, c'est de lancer des mots au passage d'un cortege. par exemple.
On n'en est bien loin.
Clemence, s'il vout plait. Ils feront plus attention. On en est persuadé...
Y'a aussi que Mr Coulibaly, son Avocat Me Diouf, etc, ont dû trop regardé les CaboyeBandis, Tex Willer et autres Navajos.
Reactualiser-vous! c'est fini tout ça !!
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