Deposed Gabonese leader Ali Bongo, sons begin hunger strike

By Hassan Isilow

Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo and his two sons have reportedly embarked on a hunger strike to protest against alleged barbaric acts and torture committed on jailed family members, according to reports citing lawyers.

State-owned Radio France Internationale said Bongo's lawyers announced Tuesday they had filed a complaint before the Paris Judicial Court following the allegations.

The complaint comes as Gabon's military leader Gen Brice Oligui Nguema plans to visit France.

Bongo, 64, was ousted from power last year in August in a military coup after a disputed election result showed he had won a third term in office.

Bongo and his two sons were held under house arrest, while his wife Sylvia and eldest son Noureddin were detained in prison.

According to the lawyers, Noureddin was “tortured several times, beaten with a hammer and a crowbar, strangled, whipped and even electrocuted with a taser."

The legal representatives also claim Sylvia was also beaten and strangled. She was also forced to watch her son being tortured.

The military regime in Gabon is yet to respond to these allegations.