Benin: Shadrac Houngnibo explains himself before the CRIET on extracts from his statement

According to the prosecution, he is being pursued for incitement and dissemination of false news, as well as for electronic harassment. The alleged actions revolve around a series of videos posted on social media, in which he condemned the land expropriation procedures carried out in Togbin, in the municipality of Abomey-Calavi.

In his statements to the bar, the activist indicated that he had acted in good faith, vindicating the rights of landowners or alleged landowners. He maintains that he exercised his freedom of expression within the framework provided by Article 22 of the Benin Constitution. In his videos, he specifically invited the managers of SImAU to include the affected populations in discussions on compensation criteria.

The Court questioned certain terms used in the videos, especially the phrase “social apartheid,” which the defendant justified by denouncing the injustice and exclusion of certain social strata in the expropriation procedures. He affirmed that he acted with the intention of raising public awareness, stating that “his intention was to let people know what is happening”.

The judge confronted the defendant with other extracts in which he invited internet users to create fake accounts to massively disseminate his posts, which, according to the prosecution, would constitute a strategy of organized harassment.

This is Shadrac Houngnibo’s second appearance before the CRIET. In December 2023, he was fined five million CFA francs in a similar electronic harassment case.

At the end of the exchanges, the Court ordered the case to be adjourned to October 13, 2025, for the continuation of the debates.