The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is concerned about the prolonged pre-trial detention of Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè, publisher of Beninese newspaper Olofofo, who has now spent over a year in custody since his forced repatriation from Côte d’Ivoire to Benin.
On July 13, 2025, Sossoukpè a political refugee in Togo since 2019 was arrested in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, while attending the first edition of the Ivoire Tech Forum. He was then forcibly repatriated from Côte d’Ivoire to Benin by the Ivorian government.
Sossoukpè was reported missing by his relatives on July 11, 2025, after they lost contact with him. The family raised a public alarm, and called for urgent intervention by international organisations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
It later emerged that he had been taken to Benin, where he was presented before a judge at Benin’s Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (Cour de Répression des Infractions Économiques et du Terrorisme – CRIET) on July 14, 2025.
He is being prosecuted for “incitement to rebellion,” “incitement to hatred and violence,” “harassment via electronic communications,” and “apology for terrorism.” Since his appearance before the CRIET on July 14, 2025, he has been remanded at Ouidah civil prison pending trial.
Sossoukpè’s detention highlights the deepening restrictions on freedom of expression in Benin. In June 2025, cyber-activist Steve Amoussou was abducted in Lomé before being forcibly transferred to Benin to face prosecution.
Several journalists and other critical voices have also been arrested, prosecuted, or convicted, including Pascal Mitowadé, a journalist with the Cotonou-based daily newspaper La Tribune, who was detained over a social media post.
Another journalist and activist, Angela Kpeïdja, was sentenced on July, 6, 2026 to 24 months’ imprisonment (12 months to be served immediately and 12 months suspended) plus a fine, over two Facebook posts that the Special Prosecutor deemed “aggressive” and “deliberate,” intended to humiliate national security authorities during a period of heightened tension.
Cosme Hounsa, editor-in-chief of the newspaper La Boussole, was arrested on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, after publishing articles about a political dispute involving two government officials.
Similarly, Djobo Bio, a journalist with community radio FM Nonsina, was arrested in July 2025 after making a Facebook post about an attack on a cattle breeder and his wife. He was released a few days later under summons and the case is ongoing.
This pattern of arrests and detentions of journalists in Benin is deeply disturbing, particularly given the recurring use of the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) and the Digital Code (2018), to prosecute critical voices. This trend risks creating a chilling effect that discourages journalists and citizens from speaking freely.
MFWA condemns the continuous detention of Sossoukpè and calls on the Beninese authorities to release all detained journalists. We also call for the charges against all individuals being prosecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression to be dropped, and for Benin to honour its commitments to press freedom and human rights.
