​Political arrests and freedom of expression: The very sharp criticism of the judge Dème contre… 

  Several personalities, including chroniclers, activists and politicians, have recently been arrested, either for statements in the media, or for offense to the head of state. These arrests, perceived by some as a restriction of public freedoms, have aroused strong criticism from human rights organisations, civil society and political opponents. Faced with this situation, the judge Ibrahima Hamidou Dème has publicly expressed his concerns about the independence of the Senegalese judiciary. In a post on X (ex-Twitter), he asked: “How can justice become independent with magistrates who always behave as judicial prefects, ready to execute all the orders of the executive? ”