Senegal’s Supreme Court confirmed on Tuesday that it would uphold the defamation conviction for current prime minister Ousmane Sonko.

The politician was convicted of defamation after he insulted tourism minister Mame Mbaye Niang and was asked to pay a 200 million CFA franc fine in damages to the former minister.

In January 2024, the top court had already upheld Sonko’s six-month suspended sentence for defamation after he appealed the decision.

The current prime minister has been battling a variety of court cases since 2021.

The defamation case related to the former tourism minister cost Sonko his participation in Senegal’s last presidential election.

Despite the Court confirming the decision, Sonko has reportedly said that the case “was not yet closed” on his side and that he would once again appeal.

Legal experts however consider that the Court’s decision is definitive, meaning that there is no way to escape paying the fine for Sonko.