Benin: a year after his death, the family of Prudence Amoussou still demands the truth

Text by: Carine Frenk Follow

It has become the symbol of the post-electoral repression of the 2019 legislative elections in Benin. A year ago, on May 2, Prudence Amoussou, a 37-year-old Beninese woman, mother of 7 children, including a 5-month-old baby, died from a gunshot bullet to her back the day before by the police. who were suppressing demonstrators in the Cadjehoun district, next to the residence of ex-president Boni Yayi.

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For the past year, Prudence's body has been kept in the morgue of the Cotonou University Hospital. While the authorities believe that she died of an "  illness  ", her family requests the opening of an independent and impartial judicial investigation, including an autopsy determining the real causes of death.

This is what Achille Amoussou, Prudence Amoussou's big brother, explains: “  We have been issued a death certificate for the moment which says that Prudence died after an illness. My family does not agree with this. That is the problem. We can't bury it. Why is the body still in the morgue to this day? To the situation is added sadness, really it is too painful. We only ask for justice and reparation, that's all. Because until the cause of death certificate is issued, it means that the government does not recognize what happened. We have learned that the Beninese Parliament has passed an amnesty law. No one is above the law. But we want the truth. So that's what we're asking for. Justice and reparation is all  . ”

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