Prosecutors in Comoros have issued an international arrest warrant for a former vice-president who opposed a series of constitutional reforms enabling president Azali Assoumani to extend his term in office.
A judicial source confirmed on Monday a warrant was out for the arrest of Jaffar Ahmed Said Hassani, who served as one of the Indian Ocean archipelago's three vice-presidents.
The warrant was issued as the authorities pressed a crackdown on figures who opposed July's controversial referendum, with some arrested on terror charges while others have gone into hiding, according to opposition sources.
The warrant was issued on Friday when the state security court formally charged Hassani in absentia with conspiring against the state. But sources close to Hassani said he had left Comoros on Thursday for a trip abroad.
Police detained his wife for questioning, holding her in custody for nearly 24 hours, members of Hassani's entourage said.