Justice: Candide Azannaï before the judge of the CRIET after six months of detention

This hearing comes after six months of pre-trial detention, following his arrest in December 2025. To understand the significance of this face-to-face meeting with justice, one must look back to a tumultuous political divorce.

A comrade of Patrice Talon in 2016 and appointed Minister of Defense at the start of the presidential term, Candide Azannaï left the government abruptly in April 2017. This unexpected departure was motivated by deep disagreements over political reforms and governance methods.

Since this resignation, he has become one of the most vocal critics of the regime. He has harshly criticized President Patrice Talon’s administration, presenting himself as a national rapporteur at the “resistance.”

In recent years, he has made a mark with his lengthy media appearances, systematically boycotting various elections (legislative and local) which he labeled as “exclusive.” Through shocking statements, he has continuously denounced a democratic regression and demanded a complete overhaul of the electoral framework, positioning himself on the fringes of the moderate opposition.

This stance of radical break took a judicial turn in December 2025, especially after the events of the failed coup on Sunday, December 7, 2025. He was apprehended amidst a series of arrests that followed this attempt to destabilize the Republic’s institutions.

His arrest, which remains shrouded in discretion regarding the exact reasons, sparked a strong emotional response among his close ones who condemned his detention conditions. After spending a semester behind bars, this first presentation before the investigating judge of the CRIET should finally shed light on the charges brought against this major figure in Beninese politics.