Five months on from opposition protests banned by the authorities that saw hundreds of people arrested, including pregnant women, some are still being held even though they had no involvement in the protests, while others have been convicted in unfair trials, Amnesty International said today.
In October 2025, a few days before the presidential election, hundreds of people, including protesters and passersby, were arrested during the crackdown on protests. Several of them have been convicted in unfair trials in which they were denied a lawyer. Dozens of others, including a pregnant woman, remain in pretrial detention, according to lawyers.
“Today, five months after their arrest, people are still being held solely because they happened to be in the vicinity of the protests. The Ivorian authorities must order their release,” said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
“According to our information, several of the prisoners detained since October 2025 have not been allowed to see family members or lawyers, and are not receiving adequate medical care. We are very concerned about the situation of three women who, despite being in the advanced stages of pregnancy, are being held at the Abidjan prison complex.”
These women were caught up in raids while going about their daily business.
Lawyer Sylvain Tapi
Pregnant and held without cause for five months
Two of the pregnant women were convicted a few days after their arrest in October 2025 for ‘disturbing public order’, ‘participating in an unauthorized demonstration’, and ‘gathering on public roads’.
One of the women, a street seller and mother of four who is currently in the late stages of pregnancy, was arrested on 11 October while selling fruit juice near the site of a protest. She was sentenced on 16 October to three years in prison. Her family has been denied visitation rights. The second, a mother of five currently six months pregnant, was arrested on 11 October while in possession of a t-shirt bearing the colors of an opposition party, and sentenced on 22 October to the same punishment.
“These women were caught up in raids while going about their daily business. They are in an environment that is not conducive to a healthy pregnancy. They are severely affected both mentally and physically,” said their lawyer Sylvain Tapi.
Both women have appealed their sentences and are awaiting the date of their appeal hearing.
A third woman, who is currently seven months pregnant, is being held in pretrial detention. She went out on 20 October to buy cookies and witnessed protesters fleeing from members of security forces. She took refuge in her home, where she was beaten and taken away by policemen, according to her relatives.
The Ivorian authorities must respect the Nelson Mandela Rules for the treatment of prisoners.
Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa
Right to a fair trial must be guaranteed
Amnesty International has documented the cases of two men arrested near the protests who were tried and sentenced to three years in prison a few days after their arrest without legal representation. Both men were arrested on their way to work. One of them was searched and found to be carrying a membership card for an opposition party, according to his relatives who visit him in prison.
“In cases where offences have not been formally established, charges against prisoners must be dropped and they must be released immediately. Trials in the first instance and on appeal must be held as quickly as possible and with due regard for the rights of the defence. The Ivorian authorities also have the duty to ensure appropriate medical care for those detained, including prenatal care and facilitate family visits,” said Marceau Sivieude.
“The use of blanket bans on protests in October 2025 was a stark failure of the Ivorian authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, as stated by Amnesty International. We urge the Ivorian authorities to release all prisoners detained only for participating in peaceful protests.”
“Authorities must guarantee and ensure the human rights of everyone including the rights to liberty, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and uphold the country’s international human rights obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They must also respect the Nelson Mandela Rules for the treatment of prisoners.”
Background
On 2 October 2025, a few weeks before the presidential election, the National Security Council banned gatherings and deployed 44,000 members of the security forces across the country. On the same day, the prefect of Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire, banned a peaceful gathering planned for 4 October by opposition parties to denounce the exclusion of two candidates from the presidential election.
On 11 October, groups of young people attempting to gather peacefully were dispersed with tear gas. Authorities reported 237 arrests in Abidjan and 18 in Dabou, about 50km from Abidjan, on that day.
On 12 October, two opposition parties called for daily demonstrations. On 16 October, the public prosecutor reported the arrest of approximately 700 people. On the same day, around 50 people were sentenced to three years in prison for disturbing public order, among other charges.
Following the presidential election on 25 October, Alassane Ouattara was declared the winner in the first round.
