A former minister Lounceny Camara who was being held captive by Guinea’s military junta passed away there, according to his brother.
After the military ousted former president Alpha Conde last year, Camara, 62, was one of numerous former ministries and top politicians who were convicted of embezzling public funds and sentenced to prison.
Camara had a stroke on Friday and passed on the next evening in the hospital, according to his brother Ibrahima Camara.
He stated that the family had unsuccessfully petitioned the courts to permit Camara to receive treatment overseas.
Early in May, not long after he was imprisoned, Camara had already been admitted to the hospital once while he was incarcerated.
In a statement quoted by local news outlets, Justice Minister Charles Alphonse Wright claimed that Camara had gotten the necessary care at the university hospital in Conakry.
Camara had been charged with theft of public funds as well as other corruption-related offenses. He was a prominent figure in Conde’s Rally for the People of Guinea (RPG) party.
Amnesty International, which has been harshly critical of Guinea’s human rights record, stated in February 2021 that the nation’s jails were infamous for violating prisoners’ rights.
Colonel Mamady Doumbouya called the battle against corruption one of his top priority after seizing power in September 2021 and becoming president.
He has taken harsh measures against both opposition activists and prominent members of Conde’s administration.