A blogger, Steve Amoussou known for criticising Benin’s President, Patrice Talon, has been detained and will face trial later this year.
The “fearless” critic Amoussou, also known as “Brother Hounvi,” who appeared before Cotonou’s Economic Crime and Terrorism Court (CRIET), has been accused of “inciting rebellion, initiating and publishing false news and harassment by electronic means”, AFP reports.
According to critics, President Talon has led the West African country down an autocratic path since becoming president in 2016.
Amoussou’s lawyer, Aboubakar Baparape, said the blogger was arrested on August 12 in Lome, Togo’s capital and was taken into custody in Benin.
He will remain imprisoned until his trial, scheduled for October 7, 2024.