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Dear John,
On July 10, law enforcement officers in Côte d’Ivoire, reportedly in cooperation with their counterparts from Benin, detained Beninese journalist and government critic Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè at his hotel room in Abidjan. Instead of presenting him before a judge to begin extradition proceedings, the police transported Sossoukpè to the airport and summarily deported him on a private flight to Benin, where a court charged him with online harassment, incitement to hatred, and support for terrorism.
Sossoukpè is not the first Beninese dissident to be unlawfully returned to Benin from a nearby country. The purported role of Ivorian officers in his forced return highlights how cooperation between governments enables transnational repression.
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- United States: Charlie Kirk’s assassination in Utah is the latest in a series of attacks that threaten the basic operations of American politics, governance, and civil discourse. Read the full statement from Freedom House Presidents Gerardo Berthin and Annie Boyajian.
- Palmer Prize Call for Nominations: Freedom House is seeking nominations for the 2026 Mark Palmer Prize, which recognizes exceptional achievements in the protection and advancement of democracy by diplomats as well as officials serving in intergovernmental institutions. Nominations are due by December 1. Learn more.
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