Benin: 50 West African journalists call for the release of Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè

The Beninese journalist Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè, founder of the investigative media Olofofo, remains at the center of significant media and international mobilization. According to information reported by Confidentiel Afrique, 50 West African journalists have launched a call for his release, nearly a year after his arrest in Abidjan and his transfer to Benin.

A political refugee in Togo since 2021, Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè was arrested in the night of July 10 to 11, 2025, in Abidjan while attending the Ivoire Tech Forum, an event held from July 9 to 11. According to the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture, he was apprehended in his hotel room, taken to Félix Houphouët-Boigny Airport, and then transferred to Benin by private plane.

Upon his arrival in Cotonou, he was placed in police custody before being brought before the Court for the Repression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism. He was then transferred to the civil prison in Ouidah. According to the provisional detention order cited by FIDH and OMCT, the journalist is being prosecuted for “incitement to rebellion,” “incitement to hatred and violence,” “electronic harassment,” and “apology for terrorism.”

A regional mobilization around a sensitive case

The call from the 50 West African journalists adds to the positions already expressed by several organizations advocating for press freedom. Reporters Without Borders filed a case in April 2026 with the ECOWAS Court against Benin and Côte d’Ivoire regarding this matter. The organization claims that the journalist was a victim of “kidnapping,” “sequestration,” “forced transfer,” and “arbitrary arrest.”

RSF believes that Côte d’Ivoire violated the right to refugee protection by handing Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè over to Beninese authorities while he benefitted from refugee status in Togo. The organization also accuses Benin of playing a central role in the operation that led to his incarceration.

For the signatories of the call relayed by Confidentiel Afrique, the continued detention of the journalist raises a fundamental question: that of the protection of media professionals in West Africa. Their approach occurs in a regional climate marked by increased pressures against journalists, especially those working on political, security, or judicial issues.

Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè was leading Olofofo, a media outlet known for its investigations and critical publications. According to FIDH and OMCT, he left Benin after the 2019 legislative elections, which were held without the main opposition parties, and obtained refugee status in Togo in 2021.

Reporters Without Borders also asserts that the journalist had reported repeated threats prior to his arrest, notably related to some publications regarding the security situation in Benin. The organization argues that the proceedings against him are part of a trend of repression of critical voices.

Since his incarceration, his relatives and supporters have denounced difficult detention conditions. RSF indicates that he was subjected to strict isolation until early January 2026 and that visits from his relatives were only allowed late and in a limited manner.

The case has also taken on a regional dimension with the case of Ali Moumouni, a former journalist from Canal 3, arrested a few days after Hugues Sossoukpè. RSF claims he is suspected of having collaborated with Olofofo and also demands his release. In its recommendations addressed to President Romuald Wadagni before his inauguration, the organization called on the new Beninese authorities to release Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè, Ali Moumouni, and Pascal Mitowadé.

For press freedom advocates, the Sossoukpè case now transcends the solely Beninese judicial framework. It has become a symbol of concerns regarding the protection of journalists, adherence to refugee status, and the use of counter-terrorism or digital procedures against media professionals.

Through their call, the 50 West African journalists urge the Beninese authorities to take an act of appeasement by releasing their colleague. Their stance rekindles the debate on the role of critical press in Benin and the responsibility of West African states in protecting journalists, including when they work in exile.