PDCI-RDA spokesperson Soumaïla Bredoumy was taken into custody on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at the Abidjan Police Headquarters, following his hearing. The party's lawyer, Blessy Jean-Chrysostome , denounced this as a "violation of the law" and a serious breach of parliamentary immunity, pointing to the numerous charges against his client.

Eleven charges deemed “disproportionate” by the defense

According to the PDCI-RDA's lawyer, Soumaïla Bredoumy faces eleven charges , including some of the most serious under the Ivorian Penal Code. He is notably being prosecuted for:

1. terrorist act
2. call for insurrection,
3. incitement to hatred and xenophobia,
4. flight,
5. arson of public and private property
6. incitement to murder,
7. conspiracy against the authority of the State,
8. threat to state security,
9. breach of public order
10. incitement to popular revolt,
11. disobedience to a judicial or administrative decision,
12. slanderous denunciation.

For Mr. Blessy, the whole constitutes " all the offences provided for by the Ivorian penal code ", a situation which he considers both disproportionate and legally questionable.

The lawyer invokes parliamentary immunity

Mr. Blessy points out that Soumaïla Bredoumy is a member of parliament and, as such, benefits from constitutional protection. "No police force can question him or detain him unless his immunity is lifted, except in cases of flagrant offense. However, in this case, there is no flagrant offense," he asserts.

According to him, the interpretation made by the authorities sets a dangerous precedent . "A legal provision should only be interpreted when it is unclear. In this case, the provision is perfectly clear," the lawyer insists.

An alternative was proposed but rejected.

According to Mr. Blessy, the defense had proposed a solution respectful of parliamentary procedure: allowing Soumaïla Bredoumy to return to his home and respond later to any judicial summons, while the National Assembly is seized and legally proceeds to lift his immunity.

"This proposal was not deemed relevant and they continued to force the law," the lawyer lamented.

A period of police custody subject to strict time limits.

Soumaïla Bredoumy is currently in police custody. The legal duration of this measure is 48 to 72 hours , with the possibility of extension in the event of "essential and substantial" justification. Attorney Blessy affirms that the defense is ready to assert his client's rights and calls for strict adherence to the law .

“It is the law that unites us and gives us freedom.”

In conclusion, the lawyer emphasizes the central role of the legal framework in a state governed by the rule of law. "It would be reassuring to know that one is convicted for offenses actually committed, but in strict accordance with the law. Because it is the law that unites us and gives us freedom," he reminds us.

According to him, legal rigor is all the more essential as the case falls within the criminal domain, where individual freedoms and constitutional principles must be protected with the utmost vigilance.