Guinea-Bissau opposition leader leaves prison for treatment in Portugal

Guinea-Bissau opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira, who was being held over alleged involvement in coup attempts, has been released for medical treatment in Portugal, judicial and security sources said.

Pereira leads the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, known as PAIGC. He was detained when the army overthrew President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on November 26 last year and has been in and out of prison since.

Military authorities accuse Pereira of involvement in an attempted October 2025 coup, which he is alleged to have helped finance. They also accuse him of separate financial crimes and involvement in a 2023 coup attempt. Both alleged coup attempts took place under Embalo before he was ousted in November.

Pereira's lawyers and party reject the accusations as arbitrary. They say the case is part of a politically motivated campaign intended to stop him from running in the presidential election scheduled for December 6.

A military hospital assessment in Bissau found that Pereira had a condition that could not be properly treated in Guinea-Bissau and that he should go to Portugal for treatment, according to a judicial document shared Thursday. The document said Pereira had requested release on health grounds.

Another judicial source said the release was for legal humanitarian reasons and that there was no reason to keep him detained after military doctors confirmed he was ill.

On arrival at Lisbon airport, Pereira was greeted by dozens of supporters. Local media reported that he told journalists he absolutely intended to return to Guinea-Bissau, saying he was Guinean and would continue the fight as soon as possible.

Guinea-Bissau has had five coups d'etat and several attempted overthrows since independence in 1974. The source describes the West African country as affected by deep poverty, political chaos, corruption and drug smuggling.