On December 29, 2023, Newton Ahmed Barry was convicted, in absentia, for defaming Minister of Defense Brigadier General Kassoum Coulibaly. The ruling sentenced him to a two-month suspended prison term, a fine of 250,000 FCFA, and an additional 500,000 FCFA in damages. He was also ordered to delete the contentious content from his Facebook page. He asserts that he was never notified of any proceedings against him and only found out about his conviction when he read about it on the Agence de L’information du Burkina website. He is currently living in exile in France.
Newton Ahmed Barry
Is case active: Yes
Country:Burkina Faso
Region:Sub-Saharan Africa
Gender:Male
Status:Displaced/In Exile