Beninese cyberactivist Steve Amoussou has been released after serving a two-year prison sentence for offences including politically motivated insult and spreading false news, in a case that drew widespread attention to the government’s treatment of critics and online dissent.
Amoussou was released on Thursday after completing his sentence, his lawyer, Boubacar Baparape, and a relative confirmed.
“I have no words. Steve is free. That’s what matters most,” the relative said.
Amoussou’s prosecution was closely followed in Benin, where opposition figures and government critics have accused authorities of increasingly restricting political dissent.
He was convicted of “politically motivated insult” and “spreading false news” in a case linked to the anonymous online account known as “Frere Hounvi”, which had attracted a large following through audio messages critical of former President Patrice Talon’s government.
Amoussou has consistently denied being the person behind the account.
He was arrested in neighbouring Togo in August 2024 and subsequently transferred to Benin. His lawyers described the operation as an abduction.
His trial began two months later before the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism, known by its French acronym CRIET.
Amoussou had initially faced broader allegations, including online harassment and incitement to rebellion. He was sentenced to two years in prison in June 2025, with an appeals court upholding the verdict in December.
His release follows the completion of the sentence imposed by the courts.
The case has been viewed as part of a broader pattern in which government critics and opposition figures in Benin have faced prosecution and lengthy prison terms.
Former opposition leaders Reckya Madougou and Joel Aivo, former sports minister Oswald Homeky and businessman Olivier Boko, a former close ally of Talon, have all received prison sentences of at least 10 years.
Another opposition figure, Julien Kande Kansou, was released earlier this month after receiving a presidential pardon from President Romuald Wadagni, who succeeded Talon in April.
Authorities have also detained about 30 people, including military personnel and political figures, following an alleged coup attempt uncovered in December.
While Amoussou’s release removes one high-profile case from Benin’s prison system, questions remain over political freedoms, freedom of expression and the treatment of government critics in the country.
