LGDH welcomes the release of military detainees in Guinea-Bissau

A The Guinean League for Human Rights (LGDH) today welcomed the release of some of the military detained more than a year ago in Guinea-Bissau and urged the authorities to release the remaining political prisoners.

In a statement published on the social network Facebook, LGDH stated that it is closely monitoring information on the release of these detainees and acknowledged “the efforts made to implement them, in line with the repeated appeals of the organization”.

For the League, it is “indispensable that such efforts continue until the release of all persons who remain arbitrarily detained”.

It urged the transitional authorities to take the necessary measures for the immediate release of the remaining detainees, namely “Tcherno Bari, known as Tcherninho, Braima Baldé, Malam Djassi, Ibrahima Conté and Abulai Queita, who, according to the information available to the organisation, have been deprived of freedom for more than a year without any judicial proceedings.”.

The organization also called on the Military Superior Court to “clarify urgently the procedural situation of Mr Victor Tchongo, Mr Ramalhano Mendes and Mr Lamine Camará and to publish the judgment that, in the appeal, will have determined their release”.

Confirming the content of that decision, the LGDH continues, it requires its full and effective compliance.

“The LGDH also reiterates its demand to the authorities to carry out the urgent identification and consequent translation to the justice of the material and moral authors of the alleged summary executions of Vicar Luís Balanta and Mamadu Tano Bari”, reads in the statement.

For this organisation, “the release of all persons arbitrarily detained is a fundamental measure for the appeasement of the country, the restoration of trust in the institutions and the promotion of national reconciliation, as well as the fulfilment of the international obligations assumed by the State regarding human rights”.

Guinea-Bissau is currently governed by a military High Command, which took power on November 26, 2025, three days after the general elections, and deposed the then President, Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

The opposition considers that it was a coup d'état orchestrated by Embalo, which announced his return to the country on October 4, but the military junta considered that the security conditions were not met.

The High Military Command marked new elections for December 6th, but the Prime Minister of the transitional government, Ilídio Vieira Té, already said that there are no conditions for the holding of scrutiny on that date.