Ten years’ detention in Saudi cells, a death sentence that still hangs over her, and a deafening silence surrounding his case.

 In response to this situation, Boubacar Sèye, president of the NGO Horizon Sans Frontières, has once again stepped forward to break the silence surrounding the Mbayang Diop case. The researcher, who works on international migration, calls on the Senegalese authorities and the public to consider this humanitarian and diplomatic issue anew.

From the 2016 Tragedy to the Trap of Collective Amnesia

The events date back to June 2016, when the young Senegalese woman, who had travelled to Saudi Arabia to work as a domestic worker, was arrested following the killing of her employer.

 In April 2017, the Saudi justice system delivered its final verdict with a death sentence. Nearly a decade later, the outcry sparked by the slogans and the ‘Save Mbayang’ movement has gradually faded into the background of current national affairs. Yet, on a human level, the reality hasn’t changed: ten years in detention, ten years of separation from her family with a death sentence hanging over her head. Faced with what he describes as collective amnesia, the President of Horizon Sans Frontières rejects the idea of letting this be forgotten.

A Strictly Humanitarian, Civic Initiative

In his statement, the consultant-researcher makes his position clear from the outset, emphasising that this is neither an attempt to challenge the authority of the Saudi judicial system nor to downplay the seriousness of the charges against the defendant. The approach is intended to be strictly humanitarian, civic and diplomatic.

 “It is simply a matter of asking a humanitarian, diplomatic and civic question: what has happened to a Senegalese woman condemned to death after nearly a decade behind bars?” the HSF Chair asks. For the migrant-rights organisation, the passage of time must not be used as an excuse to desist, but rather as a reason to review and update the steps already taken.

Crucial Questions on Legal, Diplomatic and Human Grounds

At the time of the verdict in 2017, the defence strategy and prospects for amnesty rested on legal mechanisms specific to Saudi law, which is grounded in Sharia. The hope of a commutation of sentence remained suspended on the legal majority of the victim’s children, who alone were authorized to grant pardon or accept financial compensation, commonly known as blood money or Diyya.

 Today, Boubacar Sèye raises a series of specific questions aimed at informing public opinion.

From a legal perspective, it is necessary to ascertain whether there have been any procedural developments in Mbayang Diop’s case, and whether the victim’s children have been approached or have made their position known.

 From a diplomatic perspective, the question arises as to whether the Senegalese authorities have reassessed the case and whether there are still avenues of appeal, opportunities for a humanitarian pardon or a commutation of the sentence.

Lastly, from a humanitarian perspective, it is a matter of determining whether the detainee’s family now has regular and reliable information regarding her medical condition and circumstances of detention.

A Major Test for Senegalese Consular Protection

The Head of Horizon Sans Frontières, believes that the time for recriminations and accusations is well and truly over; what is needed now is well-targeted diplomatic action and transparency. He calls on civil society, the media and diplomats to lift the institutional silence and take stock of the situation.

 “Mbayang Diop is a Senegalese citizen who has been detained for nearly ten years in a foreign country, facing a death sentence. Silence alone will not resolve this case. Nor will neglect,” Mr. Seye insists.

Whilst Senegalese diplomacy pushes for greater assistance for members of the diaspora, Mbayang Diop’s case has resurfaced as a major test of this consular protection. The question remains as to what further steps Senegal will take to extract its citizen from death row.