Gabon: Lawyers for Alain Claude Bilie By Nze Challenge Detention Over Past Dispute

Attorneys representing Alain Claude Bilie By Nze state their client has been held for more than three months in connection with a long-standing private dispute. In an official statement, they argued that this disagreement, involving approximately 7,600 euros and originating in 2008, has been improperly used as the basis for his arrest. According to the Ensemble pour le Gabon party, the former head of government faces charges of fraud and breach of trust. Alain Claude Bilie By Nze served as Prime Minister prior to General Brice Oligui Nguema’s assumption of power following the August 2023 coup. He subsequently contested the presidential election, which General Oligui Nguema won, but was unable to alter the outcome.

Concerns Mount Over Detention Conditions and Legal Process

The opposition leader’s legal counsel reports that he is confined to a five-square-meter cell, completely devoid of natural light, within a correctional facility in Libreville. They also highlight a 100-day period of isolation, which they denounce as both “political and arbitrary.” Furthermore, the defense maintains that it has never been granted access to the case file. They claim the investigating judge indicated no longer possessing the relevant documents. A request filed by the lawyers to nullify the proceedings was rejected by the Libreville Court of Appeal on June 2. “A man is being detained based on a file his defense has never been authorized to see,” stated lawyer Arthur Vercken in the communiqué issued by the defense team. The August 2023 coup brought an end to over five decades of rule by the Bongo family. Brice Oligui Nguema was subsequently elected president in a ballot presented by the new authorities as a step toward restoring civilian governance. Alain Claude Bilie By Nze’s incarceration unfolds within a political environment marked by the ongoing reorganization of institutions following this significant transition.