Detainees at Ablangandan gendarmerie station and Cotonou prison

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2019-008-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2019
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 9.30769

Longitude: 2.315834

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Benin
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • UN Treaty Bodies: SPT
Dates of prior UN action
July 2018
Type of record
Unnamed individual/group/organization
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Type of rights defended
  • Civil/political rights
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

In July 2018, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture reported that during its visit it received testimonies that detainees feared reprisals for speaking freely and engaging with members of the delegation, in particular at the Agblangandan gendarmerie station and in the Cotonou prison.

Engagement with UN body
  • UN Treaty Bodies: SPT
Dates of engagement
11 to 15 January 2016
Type of attempted engagement
  • Meeting with UN officials during country visit / with locally present UN officials
Dates of mentioned reprisals
11 to 15 January 2016
Location of mentioned reprisals
Agblangandan; Cotonou
Reprisal information

In July 2018, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture reported that during its visit it received testimonies that detainees feared reprisals for speaking freely and engaging with members of the delegation, in particular at the Agblangandan gendarmerie station and in the Cotonou prison.

Types of reprisals suffered
  • Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
0