Guinea’s opposition leader Aliou Bah has been released from prison after receiving a presidential pardon nearly two years after he was jailed for remarks deemed insulting to junta leader General Mamadi Doumbouya.
Bah, leader of the Liberal Democratic Movement (MODEL), was among 217 prisoners pardoned by Doumbouya to mark Guinea’s Independence Day, according to a presidential decree read on state television by the presidency’s Secretary-General, Amara Camara.
Bah had been in detention since December 2024 and was sentenced the following month to two years in prison for “offending and insulting” the head of state.
His release had initially been expected around December 2026. An appeals court upheld his sentence in May 2025, despite prosecutors having sought a five-year prison term.
Bah was convicted over comments in which he urged Guinea’s religious leaders to break their silence on the country’s political situation. He also described the ruling National Committee of Rally for Development (CNRD) as “incompetent”.
The case later reached the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which in a September 25 letter asked Guinea’s Supreme Court to order Bah’s immediate and unconditional release.
His pardon comes amid continued criticism of Guinea’s military authorities over their handling of political opposition and dissent since the 2021 coup.
Doumbouya seized power in September 2021 after overthrowing President Alpha Conde, Guinea’s first democratically elected president.
The military leader subsequently consolidated his position after winning the December 2025 presidential election, which was not contested by any major opposition challenger.
Opposition groups have accused the authorities of restricting political freedoms, while rights groups have raised concerns over the dissolution of major political parties, restrictions on demonstrations and the detention, exile or disappearance of government critics.
Bah’s release removes one of the prominent opposition figures from prison, although broader concerns over political freedoms in Guinea remain.
