World News | Senegal’s opposition leader given suspended sentence

DAKAR (Senegal), May 8 (AP) — Senegal’s main opposition leader was given a six-month suspended sentence by the West African country’s appeals court on Monday in a defamation case brought against him by a government minister.

The court’s ruling against Ousmane Sonko prevents President Macky Sall’s most prominent political opponent from running in next year’s presidential election, but can appeal again.

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Judge Mamadou Cissé ordered Sonko to pay CFA 200 million ($336,000) in damages and interest.

If Sonko does not pay the fine, the judge can order him to be jailed.

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Senegalese prosecutors are demanding a two-year prison sentence for “forgery, use of forgery, defamation and insult” in a trial brought by Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang.

Sonko did not appear in court on Monday. In a statement released Sunday, he announced he would no longer respond to court subpoenas.

The popular opposition figure was given a two-month suspended sentence by a lower court in March and ordered to pay compensation.

Security forces were heavily present around Dakar on Monday. In the past, Songko supporters have taken to the streets in angry protests after earlier stages of the court process. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)