The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has found the Republic of Senegal guilty of violating the right to freedom of movement of its former minister, Mr Lat Diop.

The landmark judgment, delivered in Lagos in the case marked ECW/ CCJ/APP/22/24, held that Senegal arbitrarily and unlawfully restricted Mr Diop from travelling abroad, breaching both ECOWAS protocols and international human rights obligations.

According to court documents, Mr Diop was barred from boarding an international flight on August 28, 2024, despite having completed all check-in formalities and receiving a boarding pass.

He had alleged that Senegalese police officers, acting on political orders, blocked his departure following public comments by the Prime Minister, which hinted at curbing his movement.

Mr Diop, who served as a senior government official, supported his claims with extensive evidence, including his ECOWAS identity card, stamped passport, boarding pass, and media reports.

He argued that the travel ban violated his rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights In its defence, the Senegalese government denied imposing any official travel ban and labelled Mr Diop’s allegations as speculative.

The Senegalese government also noted that Diop still held a diplomatic passport and was under investigation for financial crimes, including embezzlement and money laundering, as of September 2024.