PCP Demands Lisbon Act After Guinea-Bissau Leader Detained
The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) issued a scathing condemnation on Wednesday regarding the detention of Guinea-Bissau opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira, urging the Portuguese government to intervene immediately to ensure his safety and secure his release.
High-Profile Arrest Sparks Outcry
Simões Pereira, the president of the historic African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), was placed in pretrial detention today and transported to a police station in Bissau. A central figure in the country’s politics, he served as the president of the National People’s Assembly until its dissolution in 2023.
The PCP characterized the arrest as part of a “series of arbitrary and illegal acts” and called for an end to what they labeled as blatant political persecution. The party also pressured the Portuguese government to take “appropriate measures” to safeguard the life and physical integrity of the opposition leader.
Allegations of Coup Involvement
The arrest stems from a Military Court investigation into an alleged coup attempt. Prosecutors claim Simões Pereira provided his residence and 300 million francs (€457,000) to fund a plot just weeks before the general elections scheduled for November 2025. That electoral process was eventually halted by a military coup on November 26, 2025.
Defense lawyers have vehemently contested the proceedings. They argue that the Military Court lacks jurisdiction over a civilian and maintain that, as a deputy of the dissolved assembly, Simões Pereira should only be subject to the authority of the Supreme Court. The defense further alleges that the case is a politically motivated attempt to sideline the PAIGC leader.
International “Passivity” Under Fire
The detention has triggered a wave of criticism from civil society. The Guinean Human Rights League (LGDH) and other advocacy groups accused the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of “passivity” and “complicity” in the face of what they describe as the systematic dismantling of the Bissau-Guinean state.
“ECOWAS’s silence has legitimized the degradation of democratic institutions,” the Civil Society Organizations’ Concertation Space said in a joint statement. The groups are calling on international partners—including the United Nations, the African Union, and the European Union—to intervene and defend the constitutional order.
A Nation in Transition
Guinea-Bissau remains in a state of deep political uncertainty. The PAIGC and Simões Pereira were barred from participating in the 2025 elections, and a new parliament has not been formed since the 2023 dissolution by President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
The current Military High Command has scheduled fresh elections for December 6, following a planned August 30 referendum on a new constitution that would significantly expand the powers of the head of state.
Note: This report was compiled remotely as the Bissau-Guinean government suspended delegations of Portuguese media outlets, including Lusa, in August.
Image: Pexels – BSE BSE
