Guinea: Kassory and Damaro evacuated, Doumbouya rules out any pardon

Guinean President Mamadi Doumbouya confirmed on Saturday, September 19, the medical evacuation abroad of former Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana and former National Assembly President Amadou Damaro Camara, while asserting that their convictions by the CRIEF remain fully applicable.

In a message addressed to the Guinean people, the head of state stated that he authorized their departure on an exceptional basis after receiving documentation regarding their health condition. He clarified that the measure is solely for health reasons and does not alter any judicial decisions.

Mamadi Doumbouya explicitly dismissed the idea of a judicial pardon. He stated that this is neither an amnesty, nor a grace, nor an arrangement, but rather an act of humanity. The president emphasized his intention to reconcile the enforcement of judicial decisions with access to medical care.

This measure was made possible on September 10 by the special prosecutor’s office of the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Crimes, which authorized the two former high-ranking officials to temporarily leave the country for medical treatment abroad.

Amadou Damaro Camara left Conakry on September 16 for the United States. Before his departure, he told national television that he plans to return in early November after undergoing specialized examinations. Ibrahima Kassory Fofana departed Guinea on September 18 for Paris aboard a special medical flight, according to his lawyer.

The two men were convicted in separate proceedings by the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Crimes. In his message on September 19, Mamadi Doumbouya stressed that these decisions remain in effect despite the evacuations.