Cote d’Ivoire: legal concern: Chantal Leba, and over 40 other students at risk of prosecution under new and controversial legislation

Over 40 students, including former prisoner of conscience Chantal Leba, were arrested on 19 April 1993, following a public meeting called by the Federation estudiantine et scolaire de Cote d’Ivoire (FESCI), Ivorian Federation of Students and School Pupils, at the University of Cocody in Abidjan. They face prosecution under Law 92-464 which provides for the imprisonment of anyone who organizes or participates in a meeting which becomes violent, whether or not they were in any way responsible for those acts. If convicted they may be considered prisoners of conscience. Some were reportedly beaten at the time of their arrest, including Chantal Leba. They are being held at the Maison d’Arret et de Correction d’Abidjan (MACA), where conditions are reportedly harsh.

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