The Ivorian government is going on the offensive. Through its Director of Human Rights, Delbé Zirignon Constant, the Ministry of Justice has firmly denied Amnesty International's allegations of arbitrary detentions following the October 2025 elections.

Trials that comply with legal standards

Challenging the NGO's report published on March 10, 2026, the ministry clarifies that the convictions handed down are not the result of arbitrariness.

1. The reason: The people concerned were prosecuted for disturbing public order following gatherings.
2. The procedure: The director asserts that the defendants benefited from all the guarantees of a fair trial .
3. The appeal: Emphasizing the principle of double jurisdiction, he points out that the convicted men have already appealed. It is therefore now up to the courts, and not the executive branch, to decide.

Controversy over the fate of pregnant prisoners

One of the most sensitive points in the press release concerns the treatment of pregnant women in prison. The ministry rejects the idea of inadequate detention conditions and contrasts its figures with those of the NGO:

"Since the beginning of 2025, 15 pregnant women have been incarcerated for various offenses. Five have already given birth and all are receiving rigorous medical and social support."

Mr. Zirignon also expressed surprise at Amnesty International's "fixation" on only three specific cases, while eight pregnant women are currently detained in the country. He denounced this differential treatment , which he described as discriminatory towards other detainees in the same situation.

Key takeaways

The Ministry of Justice considers Amnesty International's criticisms to be more a matter of "value judgment" than legal reality. The Ivorian state thus reaffirms the independence of its judicial institutions from external pressure.