As part of activities to mark the 2026 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI), the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), together with nine partner organisations across West Africa, has issued an open letter and petition to Benin's President, Romuald Wadagni.
The open letter and petition calls for an end to the prolonged detention of journalist and recognised refugee Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè, who has been held in pre-trial detention for nearly 16 months without trial. It raise concerns about the length of Sossoukpè's detention, the conditions in which he is held, and his deteriorating health.
The signatories recall that Sossoukpè, founder and Publication Director of the investigative news outlet Olofofo, was forcibly transferred from Côte d'Ivoire to Benin in July 2025, despite having been granted refugee status in Togo in 2021.
"We address your esteemed office with heavy hearts and profound urgency regarding the lingering tragedy of Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè, a Beninese journalist, whistleblower, father, and recognised refugee who has been stripped of his liberty and held in prolonged pre-trial detention for nearly sixteen agonising months," the letter states.
The petition notes that Sossoukpè spent seven months in solitary confinement and continues to suffer from respiratory and eye conditions that require specialist medical attention. His request for provisional release on medical grounds was rejected in August 2026, and no trial date has been set.
The MFWA and its partners are urging the Beninese authorities to end the prolonged investigation and grant Sossoukpè provisional release on humanitarian and medical grounds. Failing that, they want his case brought immediately before a competent court for a fair trial. They also call for adequate medical care and respect for his fundamental rights.
The petition forms part of the MFWA's ongoing advocacy for press freedom, the protection of journalists, and respect for the rule of law across West Africa.
Read and download the full petition below
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