Assalé Tiémoko Antoine, mayor of Tiassalé, was taken into custody following an interrogation by police which lasted for nearly 14 hours in Abidjan on April 22, 2026 over remarks he made during an interview.
Tiémoko, who is also the founder of the satirical and investigative newspaper L’Éléphant déchaîné, is facing charges of “disrupting public order,” “inciting to revolt,” “undermining state institutions,” and “disseminating false information.”
Roger Youan, Secretary-General of the Aujourd’hui et Demain, la Côte d’Ivoire (ADCI) party led by Tiémoko, stated that the proceedings stem from an interview the Tiassalé mayor granted to journalist Guillaume Vergès during a visit to France in March 2026.
During the interview, Tiémoko (whose term of office spans 2023-2028) reportedly stated that he was not afraid of returning to prison despite what he described as mounting threats against him. Tiémoko, who has already served time in prison for his political views, criticised what he described as a corrupt political system in which opponents are treated as enemies, to the detriment of social cohesion in Côte d’Ivoire.
He also alleged that his victory in the 2025 national legislative elections had been stolen [the winner, Alpha Dramane Sanogo, was from the ruling Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix (RDHP) party] and said he intended to publish evidence in a forthcoming book.
According to a summons issued on April 20, 2026, by the General Investigations Department of the Abidjan Police Headquarters on the instructions of Public Prosecutor Braman Oumar Koné, Tiémoko was ordered to appear before investigators with his lawyers in line with Article 90 of Côte d’Ivoire’s Code of Criminal Procedure. The summons did not specify the reasons for the hearing.
In a statement, ADCI’s National Executive Committee confirmed that Tiémoko reported to the police headquarters on April 22 at 10 a.m. accompanied by his legal team. According to the movement, the hearing lasted until 11:55 p.m. His lawyers were reportedly not informed of the charges until around 8 p.m., several hours after proceedings had begun.
ADCI further stated that Tiémoko suffered two cardiovascular episodes during the interrogation, the first around 2 p.m. and the second around 6 p.m. The movement said a cardiology professor was dispatched at the request of the prefecture and recommended his urgent transfer to the Abidjan Institute of Cardiology due to concerns about his blood pressure and overall condition.
According to the same statement, Tiémoko was taken to the Institute of Cardiology under police escort after signing the hearing record around 1:45 a.m. Investigators reportedly assured him that he would be free to return home once his health stabilised.
However, ADCI later announced that on April 23, while Tiémoko was still hospitalised, the prosecutor informed one of his lawyers by telephone that he had been placed in police custody and would later be transferred to police headquarters to complete formalities before appearing before the prosecutor’s office on April 24.
The party added that later the same day, Deputy Public Prosecutor Abou Chérif visited the hospital alongside the investigating commissioner and informed Tiémoko that the custody order, which had reportedly taken effect at 9 a.m. on April 23, had been lifted at 5:02 p.m. that same day.
As of the time of writing, the Ivorian authorities had not issued any official statement on the matter.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) calls on the Ivorian authorities to guarantee full respect for due process rights, including prompt notification of charges, timely access to legal counsel, and protection of the health and dignity of persons in custody.
The MFWA further urges the authorities to ensure that any proceedings comply with Côte d’Ivoire’s constitutional and international obligations on freedom of expression and political participation.
