Provocation à un attroupement et incitation à un crime ou à un délit : L’imam El Mamadou Lamine Dramé condamné à 6 mois avec sursis
Imam El Mamadou Lamine Dramé, a Quranic teacher in Keur Massar, appeared before the Dakar Magistrates' Court on Monday on charges of inciting a gathering and the commission of a crime. He was arrested on the prosecutor's orders following remarks he made during a public meeting.
According to the prosecution, he had called on young people to protect their leader Ousmane Sonko, whom he described as "the guardian of the revolution for the continuity of the project." He also invited those willing to shed their blood for this project to register on a list.
In court, Imam Dramé addressed his remarks, claiming they had been misinterpreted. "I was giving a lecture in Thiès on patriotism. My intention was not to incite violence. I have never encouraged violence and I do not condone it. I was speaking about revolution in a general sense. My goal is to wage a political struggle, but not a bloody revolution," he stated.
The presiding judge, however, took a firm stance against this type of rhetoric after showing the video. "We've had enough of this kind of talk. We can no longer tolerate it," she declared. The public prosecutor also reprimanded the defendant.
During the hearing, Imam Dramé, leaning on a cane and visibly tired, struggled to remain standing. The judge then ordered him to sit down. But the presiding judge challenged him again: "How can someone incapable of standing for 30 minutes lead a revolution? You're relying on other people's children," she asserted.
After being speechless for a few seconds, the imam finally replied: "If I had the opportunity to make such remarks, I would have phrased them differently."
In his submissions, the prosecutor considered that the facts were consistent and requested a two-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 500,000 CFA francs.
The defendant was represented by lawyers Maguette Sène, Abdallah Diallo, Famara Faty, Takha Cissé, Abdy Nar Ndiaye, and Macodou Ndour. They argued that Imam Dramé had been misunderstood and pleaded primarily for his acquittal and for leniency in the application of the penal code.
According to Mr. Cissé, "sacrifice and revolution are words often uttered, but rarely understood in their full depth." He maintains that there is no direct incitement to revolt in his client's remarks. For his part, Mr. Macodou Ndour argued that the elements constituting the offense are not present.
In its ruling, the court found Imam El Mamadou Lamine Dramé guilty and sentenced him to six months in prison with a suspended sentence and a fine of 500,000 CFA francs.
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