Press freedom advocates have welcomed the release of Senegalese journalist and writer, René Capain Bassène, who had been detained since 2018 after being convicted on charges of complicity in murder and attempted murder.
He was released from a prison in Dakar on Wednesday following a presidential pardon issued by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Bassène’s case was marked by serious flaws and inconsistencies, arguing that its reporting showed he could not have committed the crimes for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
CPJ described the decision as a correction of a “grave miscarriage of justice,” noting that Bassène had spent more than eight years in detention.
The organisation’s Francophone Africa representative, Moussa Ngom, said the release followed sustained advocacy, including petitions, reports, and investigations into the case.
CPJ had previously submitted a petition signed by more than 1,200 people, urging the president to intervene, along with a detailed letter highlighting concerns about the trial.
Bassène’s case had also been the subject of CPJ reporting, including a podcast series examining his prosecution and detention, which it said revealed new evidence supporting his innocence.
Following his release, Bassène expressed gratitude to supporters and to CPJ for their efforts in securing his freedom.
