More than 50 individuals detained during anti-government protests in Togo last week have been released, while others remain in custody, according to Public Prosecutor Talaka Mawama.
The protests, which took place overnight between June 5 and 6, saw security forces deploy tear gas to break up crowds in various parts of Lomé, including areas close to the presidential palace.
The demonstrations were in response to a call from popular rapper Aamron, also known as Essowe Tchalla, urging citizens to speak out against a wave of arrests targeting dissenters, surging electricity costs, and controversial constitutional reforms pushed by President Faure Gnassingbé, who has ruled since 2005.
Aamron, a vocal critic of the government, was arrested on May 26 and later appeared in a video apologizing to the president, claiming he was in a psychiatric hospital due to “severe depression”. He remains hospitalized, with no legal proceedings against him, according to his lawyer Celestin Agbogan.
The “Hands Off My Constitution” coalition of opposition parties and civic groups has condemned the mass and arbitrary arrests made during the protests.
The government has banned street protests since 2022, following a deadly attack on Lomé’s main market, although public meetings are still allowed.
