Association
Trade unionist detained, sentenced to prison
On the night of 2nd April 2025 in Abidjan, Ghislain Duggary Assy, a secondary school teacher and communication secretary for the Movement of Teachers for the Dignity Dynamic Union, was arrested at his residence in Abidjan and was questioned at police headquarters. The arrest followed a planned nationwide teachers’ strike in primary and secondary schools, organised by two inter-union organisations, to demand increased quarterly bonuses for teachers, among other demands.
On 8th April 2025, the Court of First Instance in Abidjan sentenced the trade unionist to two years in prison for ‘coalition of public officials’ and ‘obstructing the operation of public services’ in relation to the planned strike. While Duggary Assy was conditionally released on 7th May 2025, a court of appeal in Abidjan confirmed his two-year prison sentence and conviction on 16th July 2025.
Environmental defenders detained
On 14th December 2024, police arrested Vincent Djiropo, leader of the Winnin community in San Pedro, Bas-Sassandra region. A few days later, on 18th December, Djiropo was formally remanded and charged with ‘undermining public order’ and ‘disseminating false information via electronic means’. According to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the charges relate to the activist’s criticism of the management of the Monogaga Forest, protected areas where exploitation is banned.
On 16th December 2025, Dominique Mensah, an activist against dispossession of land in the community, was arrested. According to media sources, the community leaders denounced the appropriation of lands via a controversial privatisation project of the forest, focused on agroforestry and eco-tourism development. 18 other people were arrested in a protest organised against the arrest of the two community leaders on accusations of disturbance of public order.
On 26th February 2025, the investigating judge at the San Pedro High Court released the 20 individuals, although charges against them remain.
Peaceful Assembly
Opposition protests
On 4th May 2025 in Abidjan, a large number of young people assembled at the headquarters of political opposition party Parti démocratique de la Côte d’Ivoire (Democratic Party of Ivory Coast; PDCI) to call for the reinstatement of their candidate, Tidjane Thiam, on the electoral list in the upcoming presidential election set for October 2025. On 22nd April 2025, the Ivorian judiciary invalidated Tidjane Thiam’s candidacy due to his dual Ivorian-French nationality.
Again, on 14th July 2025 in Abidjan, thousands of opposition members participated in another peaceful demonstration, urging the inclusion of candidates - including former President Laurent Gbagbo, his erstwhile ally Charles Blé Goudé, and their leader Tidjane Thiam - on the electoral roll for the October presidential election. Demonstrators marched towards the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) but were stopped by the police, allowing only a few party leaders to deliver a letter. No major incident was reported.