Amnesty International Report 2014/15 - Benin

Republic of Benin
Head of state and government: Thomas Boni Yayi

Municipal elections initially planned for April 2013 had not been held by the end of 2014. In June 2013, the government resubmitted a bill for the revision of the Constitution. In November 2014 the Constitutional Court ruled against any revision of the Constitution that could prolong the term of office of the President. The Constitutional Court had previously ruled in 2011 that parts of the Constitution relating to the Presidential term could not be submitted to referendum.

Political prisoners

In May, President Boni Yayi pardoned Patrice Talon and his associate Olivier Bocco, both living in France, as well as six other people, including one woman, who had been detained in Benin since 2012 and 2013. In the first case, Patrice Talon, Olivier Bocco and four others were accused of attempting to poison the President in October 2012. In the second case, two men were accused of crimes against the security of the state following a suspected coup attempt in May 2013.

Freedoms of expression and assembly

A demonstration against police violence was held in March in Cotonou in response to the break-up by security forces of a peaceful demonstration by union members in December 2013, in which over 20 people, including six women, were injured.

In June, the Court of First Instance in Cotonou sentenced John Akintola, publishing director of L'Indépendant newspaper, to a three-year suspended prison term and a fine for "insulting the Head of State" following the publication of an article concerning possible illicit financing of trips abroad. The author of the article, Prudence Tessi, was sentenced to two months' imprisonment and the newspaper was suspended for three months.

Death penalty

Thirteen people remained under sentence of death despite Benin's ratification in 2012 of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.