The Dakar Tribunal Court of Appeals has once again delayed the hearing in the Ousmane Sonko signature falsification case involving Khardiata Tandian. Initially scheduled for July 9, 2026, the verdict was rescheduled for July 23, 2026.
According to Les Echos newspaper, the court postponed the case once again due to Cherif Zeyni Abidin Sy’s absence, who is presented as the alleged accomplice of the accused. The court also rejected Khardiata Tandian’s request for provisional liberty.
The defense attorney argued that his client met all the conditions required to benefit from such a measure, citing her long detention and the potential to serve her sentence through pre-trial detention. ‘She is a married woman and mother of an infant. The longer she stays in prison, the more her social situation deteriorates,’ he pleaded.
The prosecutor opposed this request, stating that granting Khardiata Tandian provisional liberty would disrupt public order and that she did not provide sufficient guarantees for representation in court.
The defense argued that there was no risk of pressure on witnesses or disruption to public order. They also reminded the court that the accused had already been heard at trial, making it impossible to distort the facts.
Following the prosecutor’s request, the court rejected Khardiata Tandian’s request for provisional liberty. She remains in detention pending the verdict, scheduled for July 23, 2026.
