CRIET: the trial of Commissioner Delcoz Kindjanhoundé postponed to October 12, 2026

The Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) ordered, on Monday, August 17, 2026, the referral of Commissioner Delcoz Kindjanhoundé’s case. At the request of the public prosecutor’s office, the next hearing has been scheduled for October 12, 2026.

A case with multiple charges

Charged with incitement to rebellion, incitement to hatred, and illegal possession of firearms, the police officer pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial on February 9, 2026, contesting all the charges against him.

Arrested by the Republican Police and then placed under detention, the defendant is being prosecuted for statements made in a video that went viral on social media, in which he questioned the institutions and targeted former president Patrice Talon.

During the hearing on April 20, 2026, the commissioner submitted an explanatory note to the judges, asserting that he acted as a simple citizen calling for a democratic revolution. This line of defense raised serious concerns from the prosecution regarding the failure to respect the duty of reserve by a police officer appearing in uniform on screen.

To explain his actions, Commissioner Kindjanhoundé highlighted his field experience in northern Benin, where he had been deployed in late 2023 as part of the fight against terrorism.

Scarred by human losses and claiming to have seen men die on the front lines, he asserted that his approach aimed primarily to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers, after his multiple administrative alerts went unanswered.