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Beninese authorities released cyberactivist Steve Amoussou on Thursday after he completed a two-year prison sentence.
Amoussou became a high-profile target of government prosecution following accusations that he operated “Frere Hounvi,” an influential anonymous account critical of the administration.
Despite his conviction for “politically motivated insult” and “spreading false news,” Amoussou consistently denied running the account.
Security forces arrested Amoussou in neighbouring Togo in August 2024 before transferring him to Benin in a process his legal team described as an abduction.
The Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism tried Amoussou later that year and sentenced him to two years in prison, a ruling higher courts upheld on appeal in December.
Defence attorney Boubacar Baparape and family members confirmed his release to reporters on Thursday.
His prosecution reflects a broader pattern of legal action against political opposition and dissidents across the country.
Courts have handed lengthy prison sentences to several government critics in recent years, though some figures recently received executive clemency following changes in national leadership.
