Gabon’s former first lady, Sylvia Bongo, and her son, Noureddin Bongo, have announced that they will not be returning to Libreville to stand trial for alleged embezzlement of public funds.
Their French lawyer, Pierre-Olivier Sur, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, describing the upcoming proceedings as a “show trial.”
Sylvia and Noureddin, who are currently out on conditional bail in London, have remained in the United Kingdom since the August 2023 coup that ended the Bongo family’s 55-year rule in Gabon.
“Sylvia and Noureddin (Bongo) cannot be expected to return to the custody of their tormentors,” Sur said, while confirming that their trial is set to begin on November 10 in the Gabonese capital.
However, their legal team, led by Sur and co-counsel François Zimeray, insists that the scheduled trial is “procedurally unrealistic.” They argue that neither Sylvia nor Noureddin has officially received a court summons at their London residence, claiming instead that they “learned through the press” about the court date.
The lawyers accused the Gabonese government of interfering with the judiciary for political purposes. “We will write to Gabon’s attorney general to denounce the government’s aggressive pressure on judges and prosecutors to satisfy political ends,” they stated.
The claims of political influence echo an earlier controversy that erupted in July when the Bongo family released a video showing a Gabonese judge admitting to “pressure” from “members of the military junta” to pursue the charges.
“We understand that Gabonese prosecutors and judges are acting under considerable pressure and feel the urgent need to appease President (Brice) Oligui Nguema with a quick show trial,” Sur said, “regardless of whether it adheres to the procedures prescribed by law.”
He further condemned what he described as “persecution of judges and lawyers by the executive, in flagrant breach of all the major principles of a fair trial.”
Since the coup, Sylvia Bongo, 62, was initially placed under house arrest before being jailed on accusations of embezzling public funds. She was formally charged in September 2023 with money laundering, forgery, and falsification of records.
Her son, Noureddin, 33, was also detained for several months. Both were released in May 2024 and permitted to leave Gabon after alleging that they were repeatedly tortured by soldiers loyal to President Oligui. The mother and son, who hold dual French and Gabonese citizenship, have since filed a complaint in France for arbitrary detention and torture.
The Gabonese military government, led by President Brice Oligui Nguema, has denied all allegations of torture. In March, Oligui insisted that Sylvia and Noureddin would receive a “fair trial,” asserting that the government was committed to due process.
The ongoing legal battle underscores the deep political divisions left in the wake of the 2023 coup, which ended more than five decades of Bongo family dominance over the oil-rich Central African nation.
What you should know
Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo are the widow and son of former Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose family ruled Gabon for 55 years before being ousted in a 2023 military coup led by General Brice Oligui Nguema.
The duo faces allegations of embezzlement, forgery, and money laundering but claims the charges are politically motivated. Both say they were tortured during detention and are now seeking justice in France.
Their refusal to return to Gabon highlights ongoing tensions between the Bongo family and the military government, raising international concerns about judicial independence and human rights in post-coup Gabon.
