Benin Journalist Arrested Over Tweet Questioning Minister’s Appointment

On January 3, 2020, journalist Aristide Fassinou Hounkpevi, editor-in-chief of the online newspaper L’autre Figaro, was arrested after police officers from the Central Office for the Repression of Cybercrime (OCRC) raided his home.

The arrest followed a complaint by Benin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, whom Hounkpevi had mentioned in a tweet questioning his possible appointment as ambassador to Paris.

During his arrest, police searched his home, seized his phones, and reportedly accessed his newspaper’s Twitter account. The journalist was held in police custody for seven days before being released, though he remains under investigation and must report to authorities when required.

Hounkpevi faces charges under Article 550-2 of Benin’s Digital Code Act, which criminalizes "harassment through electronic communication." If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of one month to two years and a fine ranging from 500,000 CFA francs (€750) to 1 million CFA francs (€1,500).

Press freedom advocates have condemned the arrest as part of a growing crackdown on independent journalism in Benin, raising concerns about the use of cybercrime laws to silence dissent.