Guinea Opposition Leader Aliou Bah Freed After Presidential Pardon

Guinean opposition politician Aliou Bah has been released after junta leader Mamadi Doumbouya granted him a presidential pardon.

Bah, who leads the Liberal Democratic Movement (Model), was among 217 prisoners named in a decree issued to mark Guinea’s independence day. The decree was read on state television by Amara Camara, the secretary-general of the presidency.

The pardon came on Friday, although the exact date of Bah’s release was not stated. He had been detained since December 2024 and spent nearly two years behind bars.

Conviction over criticism of authorities

Bah had been sentenced to two years in prison for “offending and insulting” the head of state. An appeals court upheld the sentence in May 2025, despite prosecutors seeking a five-year prison term.

His conviction followed remarks about Guinea’s political situation. Bah had called on religious leaders to “break their silence” and speak about the country’s circumstances, while describing the ruling National Committee of Rally for Development (CNRD) as “incompetent.”

The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had also asked Guinea’s Supreme Court to order Bah’s immediate and unconditional release in a letter dated September 25. The available information does not establish whether that request led directly to the pardon.

Political tensions

Doumbouya seized power in September 2021 after overthrowing President Alpha Conde, whom the source describes as Guinea’s first democratically elected leader.

According to the source, Doumbouya later strengthened his hold on power after winning a presidential election in December 2025 that was not contested by any major opposition challenger.

Rights groups and political opponents have accused Guinea’s military rulers of tightening restrictions on dissent. Opposition parties have also accused the authorities of systematically limiting political freedoms.

Several major political parties have been dissolved, while demonstrations have been banned or dispersed by security forces. Government critics have been arrested, convicted, forced into exile or reported as disappeared, according to the source.

Bah’s release removes one prominent opposition figure from detention but comes against the backdrop of continuing disputes over political freedoms and the country’s transition under Doumbouya.