Côte d’Ivoire political detainees released after nine months

Six key figures from Côte d’Ivoire’s main opposition party, the Parti démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), have been released from detention after spending nine months behind bars, their lawyer confirmed on Monday.

Opposition leaders freed amid election tensions

Following a high-stakes presidential election in 2025, Côte d’Ivoire witnessed a wave of political arrests, with dozens of opposition members detained across the country. The legal team representing the recently freed PDCI officials announced their release on social media, stating:

“After the chamber’s decision today, my clients—Allo Pacôme Didier, Kouleon Manhenin, N’Cho Gnangoran, Mabo Koffi Jean Marc, Ouattara Kinjinlman, and Niangoran N’Guessan Edouard—are finally free after nine months in custody and returning home.”

The lawyer, Me Ange Rodrigue Dadje, did not disclose the reasons behind their release. In May 2025, two other PDCI activists, Clément Kouakou and Denis Brou, were also set free.

The eight PDCI members, local party officials from several Abidjan districts, were arrested between late September and early October 2025—a period marked by a highly contested presidential vote. Earlier this month, other prominent opposition figures, including PDCI leader Tidjane Thiam and former President Laurent Gbagbo, were barred from running due to court rulings.

Hundreds of opposition supporters, including party officials, faced arrests or imprisonment, while numerous individuals were convicted for participating in unauthorized protests during the campaign. Authorities maintained that the arrests followed standard legal procedures and were unrelated to political affiliations.

Recent political releases highlight easing tensions

In early July, Moïse Lida Kouassi, a former Defense Minister under Laurent Gbagbo and a party member, was freed after nearly a year in detention. Another figure, cyberactivist Ibrahim Zigui, was also released recently.