Guinea: Minister Charged for Alleged Role in Stadium Massacre
| Publisher | Human Rights Watch |
| Publication Date | 28 June 2013 |
| Cite as | Human Rights Watch, Guinea: Minister Charged for Alleged Role in Stadium Massacre, 28 June 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51d3e0f34.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
On June 27, investigative judges overseeing the investigation into the September 2009 killing and rape of opposition members, charged Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Pivi for his role in the crimes. The charges against Pivi, the minister for presidential security, represents a significant step forward for justice in Guinea.
Human Rights Watch has extensively documented the events and closely followed the investigation into the crimes.
On September 28, 2009, several hundred members of Guinea's security forces burst into a Conakry stadium and opened fire on tens of thousands of opposition supporters peacefully gathered there. By late afternoon, at least 150 Guineans lay dead or dying in and around the stadium complex. Bodies were strewn across the field, crushed against half-opened gates, draped over walls, and piled outside locker rooms. Dozens of women at the rally suffered particularly brutal forms of sexual violence at the hands of the security forces, including individual and gang rape and sexual assault with objects such as batons, rifle butts, and bayonets. In the hours and days following the violence the security forces engaged in an organized cover-up to hide the number of dead.
