African Commission on Human Rights |15 March 2025

Mr Dersso speaking during the press conference

Mission highlights key points of concern

The Commissioner of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, Honourable Solomon Ayele Dersso, said due process of the law with regard to right to bail and access to legal representation, the decriminalisation of petty offences and accessibility for persons with disability, are presently some human rights-related issues that are cause for concern in Seychelles.

Commissioner Dersso made the comment during a press conference yesterday afternoon at the Maison Quéau de Quinssy. Since Monday, he has been leading a four-member delegation of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR), as part of a promotional mission to assess the state of human rights in Seychelles in relation to civil and political rights, freedom of expression, press freedom and issues surrounding social and economic well-being.

Apart from discussion with top government officials, including President Wavel Ramkalawan, they also engaged with various stakeholders to gather critical data necessary for their assessment.

He shared that from evidence gathered, the bail system does not necessarily favour remandees, which means many suspects of criminal offences are not granted bail.

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