Senegal’s National Assembly has passed a bill interpreting the March 2024 amnesty law, despite opposition from civil society organizations.
The bill, introduced by MP Amadou Bâ of the Pastef party, received 126 votes in favor and 20 against, with amendments proposed by opposition MPs—mostly from the former majority—being rejected during parliamentary debates.
According to MP Youngare Dione, who presented the Law Commission’s report, the bill seeks to clarify the scope of the original amnesty law, ensuring it does not conflict with international agreements ratified by Senegal.
MP Amadou Bâ emphasized that the amnesty law was meant to erase offenses related to political events between 2021 and 2024 but should be limited to politically motivated offenses and acts committed in the exercise of political freedoms.
The parliamentary discussions revealed deep divisions. Some MPs viewed the bill as a political rewrite of a law originally meant for reconciliation, while others argued that it was necessary to exclude crimes of violence and torture from amnesty, in line with Senegal’s international obligations.
Supporters of the bill cited the Convention Against Torture and the Rome Statute, stressing that serious human rights violations cannot be amnestied under international law.
The issue of victim compensation was also central to the
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