Benin: New appeal hearing for Steve Amoussou at the CRIET

The appeals chamber of the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET) opened, on Monday, October 20, 2025, the appeal trial of Steve Amoussou.

This new hearing follows the appeal lodged by the defendant against the decision issued in the first instance.

Suspected of being the political activist known under the pseudonym “Frère Hounvi”, Steve Amoussou was sentenced by the trial chamber to two years in prison and a fine of one million FCFA.

In his decision of June 2, 2025, the judge had recharacterized the initially alleged offences.

At this first appeal hearing, Steve Amoussou appeared without a lawyer. For lack of counsel, the judge decided not to open proceedings and postponed the case to December 1, 2025, to allow the defendant to be assisted by his counsel.

At first instance, the defense had been provided by lawyers Aboubacar Baparapé, Magloire Yansunnu, Barnabé Gbago, Julien Togbadja, Hermann Yenonfan and Augustin Aballo.

A contested arrest

The case stems from an arrest that took place in Togo. Steve Amoussou was initially tried for “harassment by means of electronic communication, initiating and spreading false news, incitement to rebellion”.

However, this arrest was not related to the case that brought him before the CRIET. The arrest followed an alleged fraud case involving around ten million CFA francs, involving a Beninese living abroad.

The alleged victim had requested the intervention of Jimmy Gandaho and Géraud Gbaguidi to apprehend Steve Amoussou in Lomé.

The CRIET nevertheless ruled this arrest “illegal” and sentenced Jimmy Gandaho and Géraud Gbaguidi to 24 months in prison, of which 12 months are to be served, and ordered them to pay five million FCFA in damages to Steve Amoussou.

The appeal trial therefore promises to clarify the responsibilities of each party and to rule on the legality of the procedures that led to the defendant’s incarceration.