Five months after a crackdown on opposition protests in Côte d’Ivoire, hundreds of people arrested in October 2025 remain detained, including pregnant women, many of whom had no involvement in the demonstrations. Some detainees have been convicted in unfair trials without access to legal representation, while others remain in pretrial detention, according to Amnesty International.
The crackdown occurred just days before the presidential election, with arrests targeting protesters and passersby alike. Dozens of detainees, including women in advanced stages of pregnancy, have been denied access to lawyers, family visits, and adequate medical care. Amnesty International has raised particular concern about three pregnant women held in the Abidjan prison complex, who were arrested while going about their daily activities.
Two of the women were convicted within days of their arrest for charges such as disturbing public order and participating in unauthorized demonstrations. One, a street vendor and mother of four, was arrested while selling fruit juice and sentenced to three years in prison, with no family visitation allowed. Another, six months pregnant and a mother of five, was arrested for wearing a t-shirt in opposition party colors and received the same sentence. Both have appealed their convictions.
A third woman, seven months pregnant, remains in pretrial detention after being arrested while taking refuge from a protest, during which she was reportedly beaten. Amnesty International emphasizes that detainees’ rights under the Nelson Mandela Rules must be respected, including adequate medical care and family access.
The organization also highlighted cases of two men arrested near protests who were swiftly sentenced to three years in prison without legal counsel. Amnesty International urges Ivorian authorities to drop charges where offences have not been established and ensure fair trials, quick appeal processes, and protection of detainees’ rights. The group condemned the blanket bans on protests in October 2025 as a violation of freedom of peaceful assembly and called on authorities to uphold human rights obligations under international law.
