According to legal sources who spoke to AFP, over thirty people—the most of whom were soldiers—were imprisoned in Benin on Tuesday for allegedly having connections to a failed coup attempt earlier this month.
The defendants were put in pre-trial prison the day after their Monday appearance before a special prosecutor at the Cotonou court for economic crimes and terrorism.
Following an attempted putsch on December 7, when a group of soldiers appeared on national television to declare the overthrow of President Patrice Talon, the arrests have taken place.
With assistance from French special forces and the Nigerian Air Force, loyalist army units swiftly overthrew the planned invasion.
Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, the purported coup leader, and other rebellious soldiers are still at large after multiple individuals were slain during the disturbance.
According to the legal sources, the accused are being prosecuted on allegations of “treason,” “murder,” and “endangering state security.”
According to an AFP correspondent, there was a significant security presence surrounding the Cotonou court.
In a separate development, Chabi Yayi, the son of opposition leader and former Beninese president Thomas Boni Yayi, was freed on Monday following interrogation on the coup attempt.
The grounds for Chabi Yayi’s continued legal status were not made public, although he is still being prosecuted as a member of his father’s opposition party.
Opponents of President Talon, who has been credited with boosting Benin’s economy, accuse him of having authoritarian inclinations in a nation that was once praised for its democratic dynamism.
After serving a maximum of two terms as president, he is scheduled to relinquish office in April.
Benin’s security issues have been exacerbated in recent years by terrorist activity in its northern areas.
