CRIET: a defendant faces 20 years in prison for charges of terrorism and a plan for religious extermination.

The accused is suspected of having reported and stored firearms at his home following several suspicious stays in a locality in the country. The most alarming element presented at the hearing concerns the ideological motivations of the defendant. According to the facts presented by the public prosecutor, the individual reportedly openly advocates for the extermination of faithful from a religious community practiced in Benin.

Faced with the judge, the young man completely denied all the accusations against him. However, the president of the court quickly opposed very serious factual and familial elements to weaken his defense.

On one hand, the defendant’s own father, who was housing him, formally testified against his son to the investigators, confirming the possession and presence of weapons within the family compound. On the other hand, the technical search of the accused’s mobile phone revealed the presence of propagandistic videos advocating for active terrorist groups.

In his defense, the accused downplayed these discoveries by claiming that they were merely simple photos of weapons with no connection to criminal networks, while also adding that he was completely unable to handle a rifle, a statement dismissed by the deputy prosecutor whose investigation conclusions prove otherwise.

Considering that the possession of weapons, digital indoctrination, and threats of religious extermination constitute material and intentional evidence of terrorist acts, the special prosecutor’s office was severe in its requisitions. The deputy prosecutor requested the Court to sentence the defendant to twenty years of imprisonment, including ten years without parole, as well as a criminal fine of one million CFA francs. Following these requisitions, the Court has put the case under deliberation for an official verdict expected on July 17, 2026.