The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Beninese President Romuald Wadagni to take decisive measures to protect press freedom, in a letter marking his first 100 days in office.
The letter highlights Benin’s deteriorating press freedom record in recent years, including the July 2025 arrest of
Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè
, publishing director of the privately owned online outlet Olofofo Info. Sossoukpè was arrested in the Ivory Coast and forcibly extradited to Benin despite his refugee status. He remains detained without trial, as does his colleague
Ali Moumouni
, who was arrested days later.
CPJ also called on Wadagni to reform Benin’s Digital Code, which has been
regularly
weaponized
against journalists. Several member states
raised concerns
with Benin about this law in its most recent Universal Periodic Review before the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2023.
Read the full letter here in
English
and
French
.
