Detained Investigative journalist Pape Alé Niang’s health is fast deteriorating while still in detention.
According to his lawyer, the human rights defender and critic of Senegalese government went on a two-week hunger strike in protest of his continued detention.
Niang, head of Dakar Matin online news site, was arrested on the 6th of November and charged with divulging information likely to harm national defense.
He was released on December 14th but sent back to prison weeks later and has been on hunger strike since his last imprisonment on 20th December.
According to a local press organization, the journalist has been receiving treatment at Dakar’s major hospital since December 24. For the past five days, the doctors have been worried about his condition.
The prosecution against Niang developed as a result of his writing about the rape accusations against the biggest opposition figure in the country, Ousmane Sonko, and describing private messages.
His imprisonment sparked outrage from the media, civil society organizations, and Senegalese opposition, many of whom demanded his release.
