Domingos Simões Pereira, a leading opposition figure in Guinea-Bissau, appeared before a military court in Bissau on Friday.
He is accused of having links to at least two attempted coups, which took place in late 2023 and October 2025. His arrest comes in a tense political context, marked by the institutional instability of the country.
According to Mario Lino Pereira da Veiga, spokesperson for his defense, Domingos Simões Pereira appeared in court to answer the accusations and dispel any ambiguity: "He was there to answer, and he had to answer precisely because all doubts concerning this situation must be dispelled."
Arrested in November 2025 during a coup orchestrated by former president Sissoco Embalo as election results were about to be announced, Domingos Simões Pereira was released at the end of January. However, he remains under house arrest as part of a separate investigation related to accusations of financial crimes. His defense team strongly contests this measure.
The spokesperson clarified that the military court stated that this summons "had no connection to the ongoing proceedings . " "If it is not related to this case and was not ordered by the military court, we need to understand which authority imposed it and how to challenge it ," he added.
This court appearance comes a few weeks after the coup leaders offered Domingos Simões Pereira and Fernando Dias positions in the government and 10 seats on the National Transitional Council. Both men categorically refused, denouncing it as a "maneuver aimed at legitimizing the military's power . "
