Criet: Hosée Houngnibo has appeared in a new procedure
The national coordinator of the OB26 movement, Hosée Houngnibo, appeared this Monday before the Court of Repression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism (Criet), after missing the previous hearing.
SUMMARY
He is prosecuted for “slanderous denunciation and harassment via electronic communication”, following statements broadcast in the press about his detention conditions.
A close associate of Olivier Boko, Hosée Houngnibo had previously been sentenced to 5 million FCFA for electronic harassment against the regime of President Patrice Talon. In this new proceeding, he is accused of having provided two media outlets with information deemed slanderous against the warden of the detention center where he was incarcerated.
According to the accusation, these statements suggested alleged abuses and inhuman detention conditions, allegations that the warden considers unfounded and damaging to his duties, and for which he has sought legal redress.
A notable fact of the hearing: the absence of the accusing warden, who is at the center of the case. This absence was pointed out by the public prosecutor, who believes that his appearance is essential to inform the Court about the reasons for the complaint.
Provisional release denied
The defense, led by Me Assouma, pleaded for the provisional release of his client, denouncing an immediate and brutal arrest of the latter right outside the prison, following his previous release. The lawyers argued that:
“The facts are not sufficiently established to justify his detention. Hosée Houngnibo did not publish this information. It was two independent media that relayed it. He is not the author of the incriminated publications.”
They also guaranteed the presence of their client at future hearings, arguing against the need for continued detention.
However, the special prosecutor’s substitute rejected these arguments, considering that the facts are serious and require preventive detention. The Court thus decided to reject the application for provisional release.
The verdict on this request will be deliberated next October, at a date when the accusing warden is summoned for appearance. This hearing promises to be decisive for the progression of the case.
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