 Court has directed the government of Senegal to pay former Sports Minister, Lat Diop, a compensation of six million CFA francs for unlawfully restricting his right to freedom of movement.){kind=link}
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court has directed the government of Senegal to pay former Sports Minister, Lat Diop, a compensation of six million CFA francs for unlawfully restricting his right to freedom of movement.
Delivering the judgment, the court’s president, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, also ordered Senegal to lift all existing travel restrictions placed on Diop, ruling that the actions violated both regional protocols and international human rights standards.
According to the court, Senegal’s decision to bar Diop from leaving the country was arbitrary and lacked any legal justification, constituting a breach of Article 12(2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The case, filed under reference ECW/CCJ/APP/22/24, centered on an incident on August 28, 2024, when Diop was reportedly prevented from boarding an international flight.
Despite completing all boarding formalities and holding a valid boarding pass, Diop was allegedly stopped by police officers acting on political directives.
In his submission, the former minister argued that the restriction was linked to a statement made by Senegal’s Prime Minister suggesting plans to limit his movement.
Diop backed his claims with documents including his ECOWAS ID, a stamped passport, boarding pass, and related media reports.
He contended that the travel ban contravened his rights under both the African Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In response, Senegal denied placing any official travel ban on Diop, calling the allegations “speculative.”
The government stated that Diop was under investigation for financial crimes such as embezzlement and money laundering and still possessed a diplomatic passport as of September 2024.
The three-judge panel, which also included Justices Gberi-Bé Ouattara and Edward Asante, concluded that Senegal’s actions were unjustified and ordered full compensation and the restoration of Diop’s travel rights.