More than 50 individuals arrested during recent anti-government protests in Togo have been released, according to the country’s public prosecutor. However, others remain in custody.
The protests, which took place overnight from June 5 to 6 in multiple areas of the capital, Lomé—including near the presidential palace—were met with tear gas as security forces dispersed demonstrators. The gatherings were sparked by a call to action from popular rapper Aamron, who urged citizens to protest against rising electricity prices, the detention of government critics, and controversial constitutional reforms under President Faure Gnassingbé’s administration. Gnassingbé has ruled since 2005.
Togo has banned public protests since 2022 following a deadly explosion at Lomé’s main market, though public gatherings are technically still permitted.
In a televised statement on Monday, Public Prosecutor Talaka Mawama announced, “A total of 56 people were released” after authorities deemed the charges against them to be “light.” He described the protests as “part of a revolt against the institutions of the republic.”
The “Hands Off My Constitution” coalition—a group of opposition parties and civil society organizations—criticized the arrests as “mass and arbitrary,” telling AFP they strongly condemned the actions of security forces.
The protests gained further momentum after rapper Aamron, whose real name is Essowe Tchalla, resurfaced in a video 10 days after being taken from his home on May 26. In the video, Aamron apologized to the president and claimed to be receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital for “severe depression.”
One of his lawyers, Celestin Agbogan, confirmed on Monday that Aamron remains hospitalized and said, “There are no legal proceedings against him.”
