Extradition of the journalist Hugues Sossoukpè: the version of the Beninese government

Invited this Sunday, July 20, 2025 on Canal 3 Benin’s channel, the executive spokesperson, Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, denied any illegal operation, referring to a procedure in accordance with inter-state cooperation standards.

“You cannot say that this was done without the knowledge of the Ivorian authorities,” he stated, in response to accusations relayed on social media, where some denounced the methods as “gangster”.

According to him, the arrest was conducted in respect of diplomatic rules. “There was cooperation between two countries by the book so that the individual can be apprehended,” he specified.

The spokesperson also rejected the theory of a trap set through a diplomatic invitation, ensuring that the journalist was already residing in Côte d’Ivoire. “Just like you, I read that police officers went to get him in the country where he had been living for a while. According to the information I have, it was police officers who escorted him back to Benin,” he reported.

On the substance of the matter, Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji pointed out that freedom of speech, although guaranteed, also implies responsibility. “Everyone has witnessed our compatriot’s posts on social media. Some may speak of freedom of speech. Indeed, the government is committed to it, but we also know that freedom comes with responsibility,” he affirmed. He highlighted that this right also presupposes the ability to assume or prove one’s statements.

Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè was arrested on July 10 in Abidjan, then presented on July 14 to the examination commission of the Court of Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET). Following his hearing, a detention warrant was issued against him. He is being prosecuted for incitement to rebellion, incitement to hatred and violence, harassment via electronic means, and apology for terrorism.