Benin: the detention of Reckya Madougou "arbitrary" according to the UN

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention believes that Reckya Madougou suffered an unfair trial and calls on the Beninese government for his immediate release.

The United Nations (UN) ruled on November 2 that “Reckya Madougou's deprivation of liberty is arbitrary”. Locked up a month before the Beninese presidential election, a year and a half ago, the opponent of Patrice Talon was sentenced to twenty years in prison last December. A few days before her, another opponent, Joël Aïvo, had been sentenced to ten years in prison.

The former Keeper of the Seals of Benin, accused of "financing terrorism", had to face a special court of the Court for the Suppression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism (CRIET). And to a mock trial: his lawyers have always denounced an empty file, humiliating detention conditions and justice under the orders of power.

Based on this observation, the UN working group on arbitrary detention calls on the Beninese government to “immediately release” Reckya Madougou. An exit due to the referral, by the defense of the opponent, to several international bodies.

Detention “without legal basis”

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, composed of independent experts, "is responsible for investigating cases of deprivation of liberty imposed arbitrarily or in any other manner inconsistent with relevant international standards set out in the Universal Declaration of human rights or in the relevant instruments of international law accepted by the States concerned”.

In its opinion, the body considers that the detention of Reckya Madougou is "devoid of legal basis". In question, in particular, the handling of the case by the CRIET. "The government does not justify why an investigating judge could not be seized to issue a warrant to bring", is surprised the UN body which adds that "the government has not provided any minutes of testimonies, telephone exchanges or other documents in support of his declarations as to the presumed involvement of Reckya Madougou in an assassination financing company”.

In other words, the working group on arbitrary detention of the UN also considers that the opponent's file is empty and asks that evidence be provided to justify the heavy sentence suffered by Reckya Madougou. He also deplores a speedy trial when the defendant “did not benefit from the right to the presumption of innocence”.