​Crime against the head of state: Seydi Gassama’s surprising reaction 

  Seydi Gassama, Executive Director of Amnesty International Senegal, demands the abolition of article 254 of the Senegalese Penal Code, which punishes the “offence to the head of state”. For him, this law is obsolete and has no place in a democracy. He recalls that if the President of the Republic considers that he has been insulted, defamed or outraged, he may, like any citizen, bring a complaint before the courts. It is not necessary to have a special law to protect the President, because it creates inequality before the law. Seydi Gassama also considers that the prison sentences for offences of insult or defamation are too severe. They must be replaced by fines or civil prosecutions, as is done in many countries that respect human rights. Amnesty International Senegal calls on the government to reform the Penal Code to better respect freedom of expression, protect journalists, citizens and all persons who take the word publicly. Senegal must adapt its laws to the international standards it has committed itself to respect. This exit occurred while the oppositionist Moustapha Diakhaté was arrested for offense to the head of state.