Benin: the defense of the opponent Reckya Madougou denounces the charges against her

Audio 01:03

Reckay Madougou, failed candidate of the opposition party Les Démocrates for the 2021 presidential election in Benin.

(archive image) AFP - ERICK CHRISTIAN AHOUNOU

Text by: RFI Follow

5 mins

In Benin, Reckya Madougou has been behind bars for two months to the day.

The opponent is being prosecuted for “financing terrorism”.

His candidacy for the last presidential election - on behalf of the Democrats party - had been rejected.

In the interview he gave Thursday evening to RFI and France 24, President Patrice Talon accused him of having planned an insurgency against him.

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Unfortunately, we are faced with a new illustration of a policy which aims in fact to oust any opposition and any discordant voice in Benin. Unfortunately, this has consequences since the person we are defending is in an extremely fragile state, isolated, without the possibility of having the right to a fair procedure. And one has the feeling that President Talon is sweeping aside the rule of law with disconcerting ease. It is apparently up to him to fix the procedure, to fix the fate of the procedure even before any investigation takes place. And today, we are asking, not for pardon, but just the right to a transparent, fair procedure in which the person can defend himself, and above all under conditions which are normal and not inhumane as is currently the case.I remind you that she does not have the possibility of seeing her lawyers, not the possibility of seeing the members of her family in a normal way and she is plunged in a particularly fragile state which makes that we call on the international community to really try to make it possible again that in Benin, there are fair procedures.

Maître Antoine Vey, lawyer for Reckya Madougou

Pierre Firtion

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  • Patrice Talon