Senegalese news commentator Abdou Nguer has been arrested and charged with spreading false news after publicly challenging a prosecutor’s account of a student’s death during recent university protests.

Nguer is the second commentator detained over coverage related to this month’s deadly crackdown on student demonstrations.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Nguer was arrested on Wednesday and formally charged on February 19. A prosecutor ordered that he stand trial on Friday, his lawyer, Aboubacry Barro, told CPJ.

Nguer had questioned statements made by public prosecutor Ousmane Ndoye, who dismissed allegations that the student had been tortured.

Ndoye said available evidence did not support claims that the deceased had been subjected to physical violence, describing such claims as rumours.

In response, Nguer argued that the prosecutor was contradicting the findings of a medical autopsy, which reportedly showed multiple injuries on the student’s body.

The student died in a Dakar hospital after police stormed the university campus during protests.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Ndoye maintained that investigators concluded the student fell from the fourth floor while attempting to escape a fire in a nearby room.

CPJ condemned Nguer’s arrest and called for his immediate release.

“Detaining a news commentator for his remarks on legal proceedings of public interest sends an intimidating message to the entire press in Senegal,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative.

He urged authorities to stop using false news charges to silence commentary on public affairs.

Nguer’s arrest follows that of Sen TV commentator Modou Fall, who was detained on February 11 on similar false news charges. Fall is reportedly facing a possible six-month sentence, with a verdict expected on February 23.

Nguer was previously detained in 2025 for seven months on multiple charges and later served a three-month sentence for causing offence to the head of state before his release in November.

CPJ said its requests for comment from Senegal’s Ministry of Justice went unanswered.

In recent years, several journalists and commentators in Senegal have faced false news charges in connection with reporting and commentary on public affairs.