Moussa Dadis Camara, former head of state of Guinea, was taken from prison in the capital Conakry by armed men on Saturday morning. International news agencies report this. The Minister of Justice has confirmed that several men entered the prison in the capital in the early morning and took Camara, among others. It is unclear whether it concerns an escape or a kidnapping. A lawyer for the former junta leader suggests in an initial response that it is possible that his client has been kidnapped.
In Conakry, the capital of the West African country, the army and special units are patrolling, searching for the currently fugitive or kidnapped Camara. Reuters news agency reports that shots were heard near the prison. In addition to Camara, other co-suspects were also allegedly taken by the armed men.
Camara, who came to power in Guinea in 2008 after a coup, is serving a prison sentence for the murder of more than 150 people during a political rally in 2009. On September 28 of that year, the military junta invaded a stadium where a mass protest organized by the opposition took place. At least 157 people were killed and more than 100 women were raped. The defendants, including Camara, were not tried until 2022.
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