Aliou Bah released after 23 months in detention
Guinea's opposition leader Mamadou Aliou Bah completed a civic reinsertion program and regained freedom on November 6, 2026.
Mamadou Aliou Bah, president of the Liberal Democratic Movement (MoDeL), was freed on Friday, November 6, 2026, after nearly two years of detention. He had been granted a pardon on October 2, 2026, by President Mamadi Doumbouya, and subsequently completed a 45-day civic reinsertion and reintegration preparation course. Bah was arrested on December 26, 2024, at the Pamelap border post while traveling to Sierra Leone.
Bah was initially sentenced to two years in prison on January 7, 2025, by the Kaloum Court of First Instance for "offense and defamation against the head of state via a computer system." This conviction was upheld on appeal on May 28, 2025. The MoDeL party announced his release in a statement, expressing gratitude for the solidarity shown to their president and reaffirming their commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
The MoDeL party stated that Bah could return to his home on the evening of his release. His detention period lasted nearly 23 months. The party's national directorate officially confirmed his liberation on November 6, 2026.
Why it mattersOpposition leader Aliou Bah has been released from prison after serving a sentence for offenses against the head of state.