The legal representatives of Alain Claude Bilie By Nze assert that his prolonged incarceration is rooted in a long-resolved private dispute. In an official statement, they emphasize that the 7,600-euro disagreement from 2008 has been improperly leveraged to justify his arrest. The opposition party Ensemble pour le Gabon claims he faces charges of fraud and breach of trust. Bilie By Nze previously served as Prime Minister before the rise of General Brice Oligui Nguema following the August 2023 coup, after which he ran in the presidential election and conceded defeat.

Concerns over detention conditions and legal irregularities

His lawyers describe a harrowing confinement in a five-square-meter cell devoid of natural light at a Libreville prison facility. They also highlight a 100-day period of solitary confinement they describe as politically motivated and unjustified. The defense team reports never gaining access to the case documents, with the investigating judge allegedly stating the files were no longer in his possession. An appeal for case dismissal filed on June 2 was rejected by the Libreville appeals court. “A man remains imprisoned while his legal team has never been permitted to review the evidence,” stated attorney Arthur Vercken in the defense’s official statement. The August 2023 coup concluded over half a century of Bongo family rule, with Brice Oligui Nguema later elected president in what authorities framed as a step toward civilian governance. Bilie By Nze’s detention coincides with a broader period of institutional restructuring following this transition.