Ousseynou Fall detained in Senegal over military defamation charges

Former Senegalese corporal Ousseynou Fall, known as ‘Caporal Fall’, has been placed in detention by a judge in Dakar. The legal proceedings follow the resurgence of a 2022 video on social media in which Fall made comments regarding the Senegalese military.

Fall is facing charges of spreading false news and defaming the armed forces. The investigation was triggered by clips from a 2022 broadcast on Sénégal 7 that recently began circulating online again. The journalist who hosted the program, Pape Ousmane Cissé, was also questioned by investigators but released.

In response to the arrest, Abdoulaye Fall Mao, the father of Ousseynou Fall, issued a public apology to the Senegalese people. A career military officer and war veteran, Abdoulaye Mao Fall stated that his son is currently under the influence of what he described as a ‘dangerous political sect’. He expressed concern that no representatives from the organization have visited his son since his arrest.