Conakry – Judicial authorities in Guinea have charged five members of the security forces after a young man was killed during a demonstration, a high-profile case that challenges the country’s ruling junta.
A chief warrant officer named Moriba Camara was charged with murder and held in custody, while four were charged with dereliction of duty for failing to prevent a suspected crime, prosecutor Alphonse Charles Wright said in a statement late Monday.
The charges came after Thierno Mamadou Diallo, 19, was shot dead on June 1 on the sidelines of a spontaneous demonstration in Conakry against rising fuel prices.
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After seizing power last September, the military vowed to break with the practices of former president Alpha Conde.
Dozens of Guineans were shot dead in anti-Conde protests between 2019 and 2021.
The security forces had the reputation of enjoying impunity the circumstances of these killings were often murky and investigations or charges were rare.
Wright has vowed to shed light on Diallo’s death. Last week he confirmed an account by relatives who said the young man had been in a shop when he was hit by a bullet.
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Source: AFP
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