IN GABON! SOON! PROTEST COULD LEAD TO A LOSS OF NATIONALITY! AU GABON, SOUS PEU, LA CONTESTATION POURRAIT DÉBOUCHER SUR UNE PERTE DE LA NATIONALITÉ !
English version The recent reform of the nationality code in Gabon, in particular Article 64, raises a deep concern shared by many Gabonese, who wonder how Gabon can still be considered a country under the rule of law? Indeed, dear readers, in a serious democratic country that respects the rule of law, a citizen cannot be deprived of their nationality for the sole reason that they criticize the government. In a democracy, the criticism of government action (even virulent) is protected by freedom of expression. It is even the engine of the system: the political opposition, the press, activists and civil society have the role of monitoring and challenging power. Historically, the deprivation of nationality is a legal nuclear weapon reserved for cases of exceptional gravity (e.g. serious terrorism, proven espionage for the benefit of an enemy power in time of war). Equating a “subversive action against the government” (vague term) with high treason against the state is a typical confusion...