Gladness Gideon
Public prosecutor says charges against some demonstrators were ‘light’
More than 50 individuals detained during last week’s anti-government protests in Togo have been released, while others remain in custody, the country’s public prosecutor announced on Monday.
Demonstrations erupted across several parts of the capital, Lomé, between the night of June 5 and 6, following a call by popular rapper Aamron to protest against rising electricity costs, recent constitutional amendments, and the arrest of dissenting voices under the administration of President Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005.
Security forces responded by dispersing crowds with tear gas, including near the presidential palace. Despite the fact that protests have been banned since 2022—following a deadly attack at Lomé’s central market—citizens still retain the right to hold public meetings.
In a televised address, Public Prosecutor Talaka Mawama confirmed that 56 people were released after it was determined that the charges against them were minor.
“The demonstrations are clearly part of a revolt against the institutions of the republic,” Mawama stated, implying that further legal action may follow for those still in detention.
The “Hands Off My Constitution” coalition, a group of opposition parties and civil society organisations, strongly criticised the arrests, labelling them “mass and arbitrary.”
Aamron’s Case Sparks Public Outcry. Tensions escalated after the reappearance of Aamron—whose real name is Essowe Tchalla—in a video posted 10 days after he was reportedly arrested from his home on May 26.
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In the video, the rapper appeared visibly subdued, apologised to President Gnassingbé, and disclosed that he was being treated for severe depression at a psychiatric facility.
His legal team confirmed that he remains in the hospital and faces no formal charges.
“There are no legal proceedings against Aamron,” his lawyer Celestin Agbogan told reporters on Monday.
The rapper’s detention, apology video, and ongoing hospitalisation have raised concerns about freedom of expression and due process in the West African nation, where political tensions continue to mount.
While the Togolese government insists that the protesters violated public order, rights groups have renewed calls for the restoration of protest freedoms, especially in the lead-up to future political transitions.