The ECOWAS Court has ruled that Senegal violated the right to freedom of movement of former Senegalese Minister of Sports, Lat Diop, and ordered the country to pay CFA6 million in compensation.
The court also directed the Senegalese government to lift all restrictions on Diop’s movements immediately.
Delivering the judgment, ECOWAS Court President Justice Ricardo Gonçalves stated that Senegal arbitrarily and unlawfully restricted Diop’s travel abroad, breaching ECOWAS protocols and international human rights obligations.
The court declared that the travel restriction was “arbitrary and without legal foundation”.
Diop alleged that he was prevented from boarding an international flight on August 28, 2024, despite completing check-in formalities and receiving a boarding pass.
He claimed Senegalese police officers, acting on political orders, blocked his departure following public comments by the Prime Minister hinting at curbing his movement.
Diop supported his claims with evidence, including his ECOWAS identity card, stamped passport, boarding pass and media reports.
The Senegalese government denied imposing an official travel ban on Diop, describing his claims as “speculative”.
They claimed Diop was under investigation for financial crimes, including embezzlement and money laundering, as of September 2024, and held a diplomatic passport.
The three-member panel, comprising Justice Gberi-Bé Ouattara and Justice Edward Asante, ruled in favor of Diop, citing a breach of Article 12(2) of the African Charter
