Guinea-Bissau’s opposition leader, currently in prison, has been granted permission to travel for medical treatment

Guinea-Bissau’s military government has permitted opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira to exit prison and travel to Portugal for medical treatment, according to information provided by his family to Reuters.

Pereira, the leader of the revolutionary PAIGC party and former prime minister, was returned to prison earlier this month following a ruling by the military court of the West African nation.

The junta that controlled Guinea-Bissau through a coup last year released Pereira from prison in February but maintained his house arrest due to suspicions of economic crimes.

Military leaders are now accusing him of being involved in an alleged coup attempt that took place in October 2025. His family denies those allegations.

Earlier this month, they expressed concerns about his health and safety and noted that no trial date had been set.

The West African bloc ECOWAS called on Guinea-Bissau’s government late on Monday to unconditionally release all detained political figures, including Pereira. “Following international pressure, my uncle was ‘conditionally’ released by the military junta and is now en route to Portugal for medical reasons,” stated his family representative, Italma Simoes Pereira, late on Thursday.

On Friday, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported that Pereira had arrived in the capital, Lisbon, in the morning.