Burkina Faso: Hundreds demonstrate against Djibril Bassole's release on bail

11 Octobre 2017

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, October 11 (Infosplusgabon) - Hundreds of youths on Wednesday took to the streets of the Burkina capital, Ouagadougou, to show their disapproval of the court's decision to release on bail Djibril Bassole, former chief of diplomacy in the deposed regime of Blaise Compaoré.

Bassole has been in custody since 2015 as part of the investigations into the foiled coup attempt that year, sources told Infosplusgabon.

"As long as courts refuse to come back to their decision, we won’t withdraw. They have already forgotten what happened when soldiers shot into crowds of people," said Christophe Ilboudo, who took part in the demonstration that was called by the citizen's movement, Balai Citoyen.

A broad security cordon was set up around the military court and several streets in the area were closed to traffic.

Meanwhile, General Bassole was kept inside the military prison, but one of his relatives told Infosplusgabon that negotiations for his release were underway between the government commissioner and his lawyers.

"Why are people complaining about a simple release on bail granted to somebody as no one raised their voices to demand that those who killed our martyrs on 30-31 October 2014 be tried?" queried legal practitioner Karim Sango.

According to him, Mr Bassole  "has the same rights as all Burkina citizens and in that respect, he can benefit from release on bail if the judge says the conditions are met."

General Gilbert Diendere, a right hand man of Compaoré and mastermind of the putsch, and several other soldiers are still being held in prison.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/ESR/GABON 2017

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