Yesterday, the Senegalese woke up to the news: the expulsion of Lawyer Juan Paulo Lopez Branco. The Minister of the Interior gave the reasons for « the non-admission » to the national territory of Lawyer Branco, who was to defend Ousmane Sonko in his defamation trial yesterday.
In a press release, Antoine Diome informed that “Branco had published, before his arrival at Blaise Diagne International Airport, a post on social networks (Facebook and Twitter dated March 28, 2023), where he addressed as tyrant, his Excellency President of the Republic, Macky Sall and also called for insurrection in our country ». According to the Minister of the Interior, « given this unacceptable behavior on the part of a foreign citizen, he was refused entry into the national territory ».
Despite this episode, Antoine Diome reiterated in his press release « the attachment of the State of Senegal to the values of hospitality and Teranga which have always characterized our country, provided that they are underpinned by due respect to our democratic institutions and values”.
By Dieynaba KANE – dkane@lequotidien.sn
