Mamadou Djouma Bah, a 17-year-old social sciences student in Guinea, was arrested on 15 July 2026 for allegedly using his phone during the national school-leaving baccalaureate exam, along with other students suspected of exam fraud. Two days later, he was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison, with five months suspended.

Bah was serving a one-month sentence in a prison in Kindia, about 137 km northeast of the capital Conakry, when his health deteriorated. He was transferred to a regional hospital for treatment. His father, Saliou Bah, told the BBC that during a hospital visit, Mamadou said he could not breathe properly and asked to lean against him. "Then he looked at me and said: 'Dad, I'm dying,'" Saliou Bah recounted.

After spending around two days in hospital, Mamadou was discharged to go home, where he later died, according to officials. The family has called for the release of other detained students, emphasizing that "these young people are the future of our country."

Education Minister Alpha Bacar Barry expressed that he was "deeply saddened by the news" and extended his "sincere condolences" to the family.

Sources