2026 General Elections: Amnesty International Benin calls on future leaders to uphold human rights

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The document was presented to media professionals at a press conference held on Thursday, January 28, 2026 at the Benin Royal Hotel.
Presented as a synthesis of the major concerns related to the state of human rights in Benin, the manifesto aims primarily to call on the future political decision-makers elected in the 2026 general elections.

For Dieudonné Dagbeto, executive director of Amnesty International Benin, the objective is clear: to push candidates and future authorities to make human rights a political priority in a context he regards as worrying.

According to him, civil space continues to shrink, marked by pressures on independent media and arrests deemed arbitrary targeting people expressing divergent opinions. He also notes the persistence of discrimination against women and marginalized groups, as well as forced expulsions that undermine the rights of thousands of citizens.

The right to a fair trial and effective access to justice are, according to Amnesty, among the urgent issues that the new authorities will have to address.

Speaking in turn, Glory Hossou, media and human rights monitoring coordinator, stressed the need to guarantee freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. He denounced the suspension of several newspapers and websites based on the Digital Code, noting that some provisions criminalizing the dissemination of false information are not in line with international standards.

Amnesty International Benin therefore calls for a revision of this Code, in line with the commitments made by the Beninese state during the last Universal Periodic Review. The organization also worries about restrictions deemed disproportionate on the right to protest, pointing to provisions of the Penal Code allowing the prohibition of peaceful assemblies on the basis of vague motives related to public order.

It also calls for a revision of the 2019 amnesty law to ensure access to justice and reparations for victims. On the prison side, Amnesty International Benin paints an ongoing, troubling picture. Despite some efforts by the authorities, overcrowding remains in several penitentiaries, with detainees forced to sleep in overcrowded cells.

The organization recommends limiting pretrial detention, speeding up judicial proceedings, and applying laws that provide alternatives to imprisonment for minor offenses. It also stresses improving sanitary conditions, access to drinking water, healthcare, and opening investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment.

Finally, Amnesty International Benin warns about ongoing arbitrary detentions, notably of opposition political figures, a situation already noted by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The organization calls for the release of anyone detained without a legal basis, the effective provision of legal aid, and the restoration of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ competence to receive complaints directly from individuals and NGOs.

Through this manifesto, Amnesty International Benin aims to make human rights a central issue in the political debate as elections approach, arguing that no sustainable development project can be built in the long term without respecting fundamental freedoms.