Social media under scrutiny in Togo as authorities issue tough warning
Togo’s public prosecutor, Talaka Mawama, has reignited political debate after issuing stern warnings about what he described as “abuses and deviations” on social media and other digital platforms. During a press briefing in Lomé on October 3, he reminded the public of existing legal provisions regulating online speech and cautioned that anyone who crosses the line could now face criminal charges “without compromise or leniency.”
Mawama pointed to a broad list of potential offenses, including defamation, insults directed at state officials, dissemination of false information, incitement to hatred or violence, and breaches of privacy. Referring to the penal code, child protection legislation, cybersecurity and press laws, he stressed that even endorsing or reposting unlawful content could expose individuals to prosecution.
“Anyone who produces, reproduces, publishes, or shares content outside the legal framework will face prosecution,” the prosecutor insisted, highlighting his office’s “regalian mission” to defend the state and the public from the “dangers of social media abuses.”
Accusations of Heightened Repression
The warning has sparked a wave of criticism from activists and citizens, who argue that the government is using legal threats to silence critics amid heightened political tensions.
In recent weeks, online calls for improved governance and demands for President Faure Gnassingbé to step down—after more than two decades in power—have multiplied, drawing strong support from the Togolese diaspora. Detractors believe the prosecutor’s remarks are aimed less at tackling hate speech than at curbing opposition voices.
Kao Atcholi, president of the Association of Victims of Torture in Togo (ASVITTO), was particularly blunt in his reaction:
> “We are witnessing a repression of every dissenting voice. Those arrested for their interventions on social networks are targeted simply because they succeed in raising awareness among the population and encouraging them to demand their social rights.”
Human Rights Groups Demand Releases
According to a press release from the Mouvement Martin Luther King (MMLK), published by the local media Dasefoa (https://dasefoa.com/2025/10/06/togo-le-mmlk-denonce-un-climat-de-peur-et-exige-la-liberation-des-detenus-politiques/), the human rights group denounced what it described as a “climate of terror and fear.”
MMLK cited the cases of several detained figures, among them activist Folly Satchivi, Pastor Stan Agbodo, and midwife Grace Koumayi, who was arrested on October 3.
“These practices do not foster national cohesion or unity,” the organization declared. “The climate of terror and fear is far from meeting the guarantees of non-repetition recommended by the CVJR.”