Beninese journalist Olivier Allochémé, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper L’Événement Précis, was released on December 25, 2025, after the Court for the Prosecution of Economic Crimes and Terrorism (CRIET) sentenced him to 12 months’ imprisonment, fully suspended, and imposed a fine of one million CFA francs, approximately 1,600 US dollars.
The ruling brings to an end his pretrial detention. He was released the same day from Abomey-Calavi civil prison, where he had been held since mid-October.
Olivier Allochémé was arrested at his workplace on October 9, 2025, on charges of “publishing false news via social media.” He was placed in pretrial detention on October 16, 2025, following questioning by the special prosecutor at CRIET.
The prosecution stems from an editorial titled “The UPR is over”, which he published on his personal Facebook page in June 2025. In the post, which has since been deleted, he alleged that Adrien Houngbédji, former Speaker of Benin’s National Assembly, had fallen out with President Patrice Talon. He further claimed that President Talon had placed Houngbédji under surveillance through his wife. The publication also referred to alleged phone cloning, suspicions of poisoning, and pressure on tenants occupying buildings owned by Houngbédji.
According to the journalist, these developments had led Houngbédji to consider abandoning plans to merge his party, the Parti du Renouveau Démocratique, with the Progressive Union Party. The authorities deemed the information false and opened an investigation through the Criminal Investigation Department, requiring the journalist to substantiate his claims.
At his first court appearance on October 30, 2025, before the Second Criminal Chamber of CRIET, he was formally indicted. The hearing lasted only a few minutes and the case was adjourned. A subsequent hearing scheduled for December 11, 2025, did not take place following the events of December 7, 2025, when Beninese authorities announced they had foiled an alleged plot to destabilise state institutions. The case was eventually heard on December 25, resulting in the suspended sentence.
On October 29, 2025, on the eve of his initial court appearance, Olivier Allochémé published a message on Facebook from detention in which he issued a public mea culpa. He wrote: “With the utmost respect, I hereby make a public mea culpa following the publication, on my personal Facebook page, of posts containing allegations affecting the honour and reputation of the Head of State.” He acknowledged that the information consisted of “reported claims” published without adequate verification or adherence to basic journalistic standards.
In a statement issued in Cotonou on October 29, 2025, the Platform of Media Promoters and Actors for Development (PADeM-Benin) appealed to President Patrice Talon to grant clemency. Its president, Hilarion Kingnon, urged the Head of State to pardon the journalist.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) welcomes the release of Olivier Allochémé following the court’s decision to impose a suspended sentence. However, the MFWA maintains that criminalising speech-related offences and resorting to custodial measures for publication-based conduct contravene international standards on freedom of expression.
Deprivation of liberty for such offences carries a significant chilling effect on journalists and risks creating opportunities for misuse by political or other powerful actors. The MFWA urges the Beninese authorities to prioritise civil remedies, including defamation suits and rights of reply or rejoinders, as more proportionate and rights-respecting responses to disputed or inaccurate publications.
