Beninese journalist Virgile Ahouansè, who has been in the custody of the criminal brigade since 20 December, was brought before the Criet (Court of Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism) on Thursday 22 December. However, on Wednesday 21 December, the UPMB had demanded his immediate release.
Virgile Ahouansè, a journalist and news director of the web radio Crystal News, could know his fate in the coming hours. Placed in custody at the criminal brigade on Tuesday 20 December 2022, Virgile Ahouansè was taken to the Criet in the morning of Thursday. He is accused of “spreading false information on social networks”. More specifically, it concerns an investigation he carried out into alleged summary executions by the police in a school in Porto-Novo. According to Barnabé Gbago, the journalist’s lawyer, the warden and the head of the neighbourhood who were interviewed by the journalist changed their statements, which further complicates his case.
In a statement dated 21 December 2022, the Union of Media Professionals of Benin (UPMB) demanded the release of the journalist. “The UPMB demands the immediate release of journalist Virgile Ahouansè and the respect of his fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution and in national and international legal instruments on press protection,” the document states.
“Considering that in a democratic state, the arrest of a journalist should be an exception, the UPMB notes with bitterness and disapproval this umpteenth arrest, which looks like a stalking of Benin’s media professionals, given that Mr Virgile AHOUANSE was summoned by telephone”, the text continues.
“It is especially sad to see the deprivation of freedom of journalists in the exercise of their profession, contrary to the legal provisions in force in our country and the international instruments to which Benin has freely subscribed,” concludes the message of the Union of Media Professionals of Benin.
