French court rejects Macky Sall’s request to block opposition website

The Paris Judicial Court has rejected a request by former Senegalese President Macky Sall to block access to the website nonamacky.org within France. Sall sought to prevent internet service providers, including Orange, SFR, Free, and Bouygues Telecom, from allowing users to access the platform.

The website hosts documents, testimonies, and publications regarding Sall’s two terms as President of Senegal (2012–2024), covering topics such as public protests, arrests, civil liberties, press freedom, and financial matters. The platform’s stated goal is to discourage international decision-makers from supporting Sall’s candidacy for the position of United Nations Secretary-General.

While Sall argued that certain content was defamatory, the court distinguished between personal criticisms and critiques of Senegalese state institutions. The judges ruled that describing Sall as ‘unfit’ constituted a critical value judgment regarding his candidacy for an international role. The court determined that the published elements did not justify restricting access to the site.