The Observatory and Tournons La Page recall that Ferdinand Ayité and L’Alternative were already fined for defamation in November 2020 following the publication of an article exposing a case of massive embezzlement in the Togolese oil sector, and that in early 2021, the newspaper was suspended for four months following accusations of publishing false news. Furthermore, Ferdinand Ayité was named as among those under surveillance via Pegasus spyware.
The Observatory and Tournons La Page denounce the recurrent attacks on fundamental freedoms, particularly the freedoms of expression, assembly and association in Togo. These abuses are characterised by repeated attacks and a judicial relentlessness against human rights defenders, civil society activists and journalists, with the aim of silencing any protesting voice.
The Observatory and Tournons La Page welcome the release of Fedinand Ayité, Joël Egah and Fovi Katakou, but reiterate that they should never have been imprisoned in the first place, as their detention was arbitrary and aimed at preventing them from carrying out their legitimate human rights activities and punishing them for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
The Observatory and Tournons La Page call on the Togolese authorities to drop all legal proceedings against Ferdinand Ayité, Joël Egah, Isidore Kouwonou and Fovi Katakou and to ensure that they can carry out their legitimate human rights activities without hindrance or fear of reprisals.
The Observatory and Tournons La Page also call on the Togolese authorities to guarantee the right to freedom of expression in the country, as enshrined in the Togolese Constitution, as well as in several regional and international human rights protection instruments, in particular Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ratified by Togo in 1984 and 1982 respectively.
Signatories
Tournons La Page is an international movement, bringing together more than 250 African civil society organisations supported by European organisations, whose objective is the promotion of democratic change in Africa. The movement carries out peaceful and non-partisan actions. Created in 2014, Tournons La Page has coalitions in 10 African countries (Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Niger and Togo).