Burkina Faso: provisional release granted to Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Zoungrana
Soldiers of the new junta stand guard in an armored vehicle in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, October 1, 2022. (photo illustration) REUTERS - VINCENT BADO
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Thursday, December 15, the Burkinabe military justice granted provisional release to Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Zoungrana after eleven months of detention.
The officer is accused of attacking state security against the regime of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and money laundering.
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The control room of the military tribunal granted provisional release to Lieutenant-Colonel Zoungrana on Thursday, December 15, after
eleven months of detention
.
His relatives went to the House of arrest and correction of the armies (Maca) where he is imprisoned to pick him up.
They finally left without him Thursday afternoon, and without further explanation.
The officer slept in jail.
Friday morning, a family member contacted by RFI explains that there were in fact some "
paperwork
" to complete.
According to Paul Kéré, one of his lawyers, Lieutenant-Colonel Zoungrana “
is doing well.
His morale is good."
"He is a fighter ready to make his contribution to the fight against terrorism,"
he said.
This release raises several questions: what role will the man who is presented as a fairly powerful officer in the Burkinabe army play in the transition?
What will be his relationship with Captain Ibrahim Traoré?
Since
the imprisonment of Emmanuel Zoungrana
in January, the military court had repeatedly refused to release him provisionally, citing in particular his personal safety and the risk of witness tampering.
► To read also: In Burkina Faso, demonstrators demand the release of Lieutenant-Colonel Zoungrana
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