Benin’s Former President Under House Arrest

Lawyers of former President Boni Yayi claim he is under virtual house arrest following protests against April’s elections. They also claim the 67-year-old requires serious medical attention.

The elections have been disputed on the basis that only two political parties, both seen as loyal to President Patrice Talon, were permitted to participate. Turnout during the polls was around 23 percent and following the vote hundreds of protestors took to the streets to demonstrate. Soldiers fired at the crowds with four deaths confirmed and more rumoured.

Boni Yayi served as president of Benin between 2006 and 2016. He has run into trouble with the authorities following his involvement in a demonstration ahead of the elections calling for a postponement and calls for a return to democracy.

While it is not clear that the former President is under official house arrest his lawyers claim that police remain deployed outside his house and have been blocking him from leaving or receiving visitors.

Ahead of April’s elections Amnesty International had warned of a "wave of arbitrary arrests of political activists and journalists, and the crackdown on peaceful protests."