A Guinean public prosecutor has initiated an investigation into the arrest of journalist Habib Marouane Camara, a critic of the country’s ruling junta. Authorities described the arrest as being “unauthorised by established officials.”
Camara, who owns the news platform Lerevelateur224, was reportedly detained on Tuesday in Lambanyi, a suburb of the capital, Conakry, by men wearing uniforms. His legal team and the national press union have condemned the incident, calling it part of a broader campaign by the junta to suppress free expression since taking control in a 2021 coup.
The prosecutor’s office in Dixinn stated it had learned about the arrest through media reports. According to its statement, the detention was allegedly carried out by individuals “dressed in police or military uniforms” and occurred “without authorisation from the competent authorities and outside the bounds of the law.”
The statement added that the prosecutor’s office has instructed the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the “arbitrary arrest and detention.” The findings of the inquiry, it assured, would be disclosed to the public.
The Union of Press Professionals of Guinea (SPPG) reported that Camara was on his way to meet a local businessman when a security forces vehicle intercepted his car. According to the union, the assailants shattered his car’s windscreen and forcibly took him to an undisclosed location. The organisation labelled the incident a “kidnapping” and criticised the ongoing suppression of press freedom.
Since the junta’s rise to power, numerous opposition figures have faced arrests, court proceedings, or exile. In addition, two prominent anti-junta activists disappeared in July after being detained by security forces. The deaths of two former senior officers and a doctor, all of whom were arrested under unclear circumstances in recent months, have further raised concerns.
Although the regime has faced international pressure to restore civilian rule by the end of 2024, it has since signalled an unwillingness to honour that timeline.
