Editor of the Togolese online news platform, Togoscoop, Albert Agbeko, was on April 8, 2025, taken to the Tsévie police station for refusing to delete footage of his coverage of the revision of the voter register exercise at the Saint Jean Catholic Primary School in Tsévié, about 35 kilometres from Togo’s capital, Lomé.
While covering the exercise, a police officer stopped him and ordered him to delete the photos he had taken. Despite presenting his press card to prove he was on official assignment, the officer ignored his explanation.
The journalist was taken to the Tsévié police station for refusing to delete the footage. There, the police commissioner compelled him to erase the images before releasing him.
Speaking to the MFWA, Albert Agbeko revealed that some media associations contacted the Ministry of Security to protest the incident. The Ministry, however, denied issuing any directive to restrict journalists from covering the voter registration process.
The MFWA condemns the actions of the police officers and calls on Togolese authorities to investigate the actions of the officers involved and hold them accountable. We also urge Togolese authorities to take immediate steps to reverse the trend of freedom of expression violations in the country.