Benin: Journalist Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè to appear in Criet this Monday
The Beninese journalist Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè, who was arrested in Abidjan and extradited to Benin, is scheduled to appear this Monday, July 14, 2025, before the judge for detention and liberties at the Court for Economic and Terrorism Offences (Criet).
SUMMARY
The founder of the online media Olofofo Infos, Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè, is to be presented this Monday, July 14, 2025, to the judge for detention and liberties near the Court for Economic and Terrorism Offences (CRIET), in Cotonou.
His hearing comes after a controversial arrest that took place on July 10 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, followed by an immediate extradition to Benin and provisional detention at the civil prison in Ouidah.
Since his arrest, neither the Beninese nor Ivorian authorities have officially communicated about the precise circumstances of the case. A silence that is raising many questions.
The journalist’s defense denounces an opaque process and serious violations of his rights. According to the lawyers, Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè has held refugee status in Togo since 2019, recognized under the Geneva Convention.
A panel of attorneys, allegations of arbitrary detention
A collective of seven lawyers from the Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Benin bars has been formed to provide his defense. In a statement released this Sunday, July 13, they express their “deep concern” and demand detailed explanations about this arrest which they judge to be irregular.
Lawyers for Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè denounce “a persistent silence” from the Beninese and Ivorian authorities and a possible “abuse” contrary to international commitments regarding the right to asylum and judicial procedure.
A case with significant political and legal implications
The statement also revisits the circumstances of the journalist’s arrival in Abidjan. Invited by the Ivorian Ministry of Digital Transition to participate in the Ivoire Tech Forum, Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè was officially welcomed on July 8 before being arrested two days later without known judicial warrant. “This is an abuse that the responsible parties will have to account for,” warn his lawyers.
The defense demands, among other things, an immediate official communication about the journalist’s situation, access to his counsel and his family, as well as the strict respect of his fundamental rights.
It calls for national and international mobilization to ensure that the journalist Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè does not become a victim of inhumane treatment or procedures contrary to international standards.
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