EPG denounces judicial lockdown of former Prime Minister Bilie-By-Nze in total isolation
via Gabon Review2 min read
The Ensemble Pour le Gabon EPG party has issued a press release on April 20, 2026, condemning the conditions of detention for its president, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who was incarcerated on April 16, 2026. According to the Executive Bureau, the former Prime Minister has not received any visits since his preventive detention. His lawyers' attempts to gain access to their client on April 20, 2026, were unsuccessful, with judicial authorities providing no official explanation for the refusal. The EPG interprets this as "total isolation," a term in Gabonese criminal law that implies a ban on all external contact and cannot be legally extended beyond certain deadlines without a reasoned decision. The party and the defense are facing a procedural void due to the lack of official communication from the prosecutor's office or the investigating judge. The communiqué did not mention the charges against Bilie-By-Nze or announce immediate legal action, but the tone suggests a potential escalation in the coming days.
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