Lawyers in Guinea began a two-week strike on Tuesday over what they denounced as the “arbitrary arrests” of citizens in the junta-led West African nation, the bar association said.

Oumar Sylla, better known as Fonike Mengue, and Mamadou Billo Bah, two leaders of a citizens’ movement calling for a return to civilian rule, were arrested on July 9.

The lawyers intend to “protest against arbitrary arrests and other kidnappings followed by secret detention of Guinean citizens”, their spokesman, Gabriel Kamano, said Tuesday.

Their strike has the potential to disrupt a landmark trial over a 2009 massacre regarded as one of the darkest moments in the nation’s history.

It is due to last until 11:59 pm on July 31 — the day a court in Conakry is due to hand down its verdict on Guinea’s former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara over alleged crimes against humanity.

Along with 11 other government and military officials, Dadis Camara is accused of numerous instances of murder, sexual violence, torture, abduction and kidnapping.

According to the authorities, the trial of Dadis Camara and his fellow defendants would go ahead on July 31 despite the strike.

But the court’s prosecutor did not specify whether the strike would prevent the reading of the verdict in a trial that has gripped the nation.

Opposition voices have been largely stifled since the colonels seized power in a 2021 coup, overthrowing elected president Alpha Conde.

Guinea’s military-led authorities have been cracking down on any attempts to mobilise support for a return to civilian rule.

In 2022, they dissolved the FNDC, a civil society collective, after banning all demonstrations.

Many opposition leaders have been arrested, brought before the courts or forced into exile.

In May, the authorities withdrew the licences of six radio and TV stations.

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