MORONI: An opposition leader in Comoros has been arrested in what his legal team condemned on Friday as a “preposterous” and politically motivated incident following a disputed presidential election.
Daoudou Abdallah Mohamed, a former interior minister and the leader of the Orange opposition party, was detained earlier this week after an altercation with a police officer, authorities stated.
He is part of a faction of opposition candidates who rejected the re-election of President Azali Assoumani in January, alleging fraudulence in the electoral process. President-elect Assoumani will take oath later this month.
“The charges leveled against our client are absurd,” said Daoudou’s lawyer, Said Larifou, speaking to AFP. Larifou characterized the allegations as emblematic of the “arbitrary” and “misuse of authority” prevalent under Assoumani’s administration.
Daoudou was arrested on Tuesday after posting a video on social media expressing concern about security personnel tailing him in an unmarked vehicle. Prosecutors in the archipelago said that he subsequently accused one of the officers of theft, leading to the official being pursued by an angry crowd.
On Thursday, Daoudou was charged with endangering the life of a police officer, abduction, and violence related to the incident.
Moreover, he faced separate charges linked to the contested election, including inciting unrest, disrupting public order, and undermining public institutions, prosecutors reported.
Azali Assoumani, a 65-year-old former military ruler who transitioned to civilian presidency, secured re-election with 57.2 percent of the vote in January, a result contested by the majority of opposition contenders. The election was followed by violent demonstrations in the capital, Moroni.
Assoumani, who initially seized power in a coup in 1999, relinquished control to civilians in 2006 before reclaiming the presidency a decade later amid claims of electoral violence and irregularities. Since then, he has faced accusations of expanding authoritarianism.
