Senegalese commentator arrested for remarks about student’s death

Dakar, February 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Senegalese authorities to release news commentator Abdou Nguer, who was arrested on Wednesday for challenging a public prosecutor’s statement on the cause of a student’s death.

“Detaining a news commentator for his remarks on legal proceedings of public interest sends an intimidating message to the entire press in Senegal,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative. “Senegalese authorities must release Abdou Nguer and stop using false news charges to deprive journalists of their right to freely comment on public affairs.”

Nguer is the second news commentator to be detained on false news charges over reports related to a deadly crackdown on university protests, following Sen TV’s Modou Fall’s arrest on February 11. Fall could face a six-month sentence in a trial that is due to reach its verdict on February 23.

On February 19, a prosecutor charged Nguer, a freelance commentator, with spreading false news and ordered his trial on Friday, his lawyer, Aboubacry Barro, told CPJ.

Nguer had commented on public prosecutor Ousmane Ndoye’s dismissal of allegations that the dead student had been tortured as available evidence did not support “rumors” that he had been subjected to physical violence.

Nguer said that Ndoye was denying the results of a medical autopsy, which indicated several traumas on the body of the young man, who died in a hospital in the capital, Dakar, after police stormed the university campus.

“If it’s not torture, what is it?” asked Nguer, adding that he didn’t believe the prosecutor.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Ndoye said evidence gathered by investigators showed that the student fell from the fourth floor while fleeing a fire in a neighboring room.

In 2025, Nguer was detained for seven months on multiple charges. He was released in November after serving a three-month sentence for causing offense to the head of state. 

CPJ’s calls to request comment from the Ministry of Justice went unanswered.

In recent year, numerous journalists in Senegal have been charged with spreading false news for commenting on public affairs.