Case on the presence of French troops in Benin: 2 years in prison and a 10 million FCFA fine sought against Damien Dégbé.
The special public prosecutor’s office at the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET) requested, on Tuesday January 27, 2026, a sentence of two years’ imprisonment to be served along with a fine of 10 million CFA francs against activist Damien Dégbé, prosecuted for acts of online harassment and incitement to violence and rebellion.
Former president of the National Union of Schoolchildren and Students of Benin (UNSEB), Mr. Dégbé appeared before the judges in connection with a case opened following his arrest by the Republican Police in October 2025, which had led to his preventive detention before his transfer to CRIET.
The charges against him relate to the organization of demonstrations by pupils of CEG Akpakpa Centre, in which several minors would have participated, to protest against an alleged presence of French soldiers in Benin.
Publications attributed to Mr. Dégbé, published in the newspaper La Flamme of the Benin Communist Party (PCB), were also mentioned in the file.
In court, the defendant stated that he is a journalist and did not deny the facts alleged. His defense was provided by Me Aboubacar Baparapé.
Representing the public prosecutor, the fifth deputy to the special prosecutor asked the Court to remand Dégbé in preventive detention for online harassment and incitement to violence and to rebellion. Consequently, the public prosecutor’s office filed its sentencing requisition, pending the verdict of the trial scheduled for Tuesday March 3, 2026.
Comments