Gabonese lawmaker Augustin Lobelle Yembi has been released and returned to Gabon after being detained in Rwanda over the alleged assault of a RwandAir employee at Kigali International Airport.
Yembi was arrested on September 3 after a video showing him allegedly slapping a RwandAir employee at the airport circulated widely on social media.
He was detained pending legal proceedings in Rwanda, but was released on September 6 following diplomatic discussions between Rwanda and Gabon, according to Gabonese authorities.
The president of Gabon’s National Assembly, Michel Régis Onanga Ndiaye, confirmed that Yembi had returned to Gabon, where the matter will now be handled by the country’s authorities.
What led to Yembi’s arrest?
Yembi was reportedly travelling through Kigali to another destination and had left the airport while waiting for his connecting flight.
He later returned to the airport and proceeded with his journey after receiving his boarding pass. At a final checkpoint, he was reportedly asked to present his passport and boarding pass.
An argument allegedly followed after Yembi refused to provide the documents, during which he is accused of slapping the RwandAir employee. Rwandan security authorities then arrested him.
Gabon’s National Assembly said it is awaiting the official case file before deciding whether any measures should be taken against Yembi, including possible action concerning his parliamentary immunity.
