ECOWAS Court orders Guinea-Bissau to indemnify detained opposition politicians

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered the state of Guinea-Bissau to pay compensation to five opposition politicians who were illegally detained following a coup attempt in November 2025. The court ruled that the government was responsible for serious violations of fundamental human rights.

Each of the five victims is to receive 30 million CFA francs (approximately 76,200 euros). The beneficiaries include former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, Deputy Marciano Indi, Social Renewal Party leader Roberto Mbesba, and lawyers Octávio Lopes and Augusto Nansambe.

The detentions occurred following a military action on November 26, 2025, just before the announcement of provisional legislative and presidential election results. Legal representatives have described the ruling as a decisive affirmation of the right to liberty and human dignity in West Africa, emphasizing that fundamental rights are protected by international treaties and are not subject to the discretion of the executive power.