In a statement broadcast on State television, Public prosecutor of Lomé announced on June 9 the release of 56 individuals arrested during public demonstrations in Lomé on 5 and 6 June 2025. The protests, coinciding with the anniversary of President of the Council Faure Gnassingbé, were met with heavy Police response and have been labelled by authorities as “a revolt movement against the institutions of the Republic”.
9 other individuals were released on June 10, according to Lomé Public Prosecutor. Despite the releases, approximately 20 individuals remain in custody, with their detention extended to facilitate ongoing investigations. They have been brought before the public prosecutor since 10 June. According to one of the four defence lawyers involved in the case, efforts are underway to ensure due legal process amid growing concern over arbitrary detentions.
The demonstrations, sparked by anger over recent constitutional reforms, electricity price hikes, and politically motivated arrests, saw a significant security deployment across Lomé. Tear gas was used to disperse protesters, and several journalists, including a correspondent from TV5 Monde, were temporarily detained and forced to delete their footage.
The arrest of rapper Amron, a vocal critic of the government, has drawn further scrutiny. Detained by gendarmes on 26 May, Amron later appeared in a Tiktok video apologising to the President and claiming mental health issues — a video his lawyer described as made *sous contrainte* (under duress). The artist has since been placed in a psychiatric hospital, a move rights activists have condemned as politically motivated.
Legal teams and civil society organizations continue to monitor the situation closely, amid fears that the state is leveraging the justice system to suppress dissent. The upcoming appearance of detainees before the public prosecutor is expected to be a critical test of judicial transparency in a politically sensitive environment.