“After 20 months of arbitrary and cruel imprisonment and subjected to torture, the family is finally reunited,” said lawyer François Zimeray.
GUARDIAN NG
Former Gabonese president Ali Bongo, his wife Sylvia, and son Noureddin were freed Thursday night by coup leaders after 20 months in captivity. According to their lawyer, François Zimeray, the release followed a lawsuit filed in France alleging torture and kidnapping, alongside mounting pressure from African Union leaders.
“Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo, aged 62 and 33, flew with the former president to Luanda, Angola… at approximately 11.30pm,” a statement read.
Zimeray said: “This release is the result of long-term efforts both from judicial and diplomatic fronts… [They] will now finally be able to turn the page, heal and rebuild their lives.”
Sylvia and Noureddin, both French citizens, were seized in August 2023 and detained in underground cells, while Bongo was kept under house arrest. Coup leader Brice Oligui Nguema had earlier pledged to prosecute the pair for embezzlement, though no evidence was ever presented. Their release comes weeks after Oligui’s swearing-in as president.