Marthe Nounfoh Fare, the president of PEN Togo and a prominent writer, journalist, and blogger, is facing potential imprisonment due to a video and comments she posted on her TikTok account on June 19, 2024. The video, recorded from a distance, shows an unidentified woman walking and seemingly praying outside the headquarters of the ruling party, Union for the Republic (UNIR), in Lomé.
In a statement released earlier this weekend, PEN International, an organization that investigates and reports on violations of the right to freedom of expression worldwide, revealed that Marthe Nounfoh Fare was summoned by Lomé police on June 26, 2024. According to the organization, she had been detained without charges until July 1, before being brought to a court and charged for “violation of personal privacy” under of the Togolese Penal Code.
Despite the difficulty in identifying the person in the video, a complaint was reportedly filed by a family member of the woman featured. “Oddly, the authorities were the ones who had looked for and contacted the ‘complainant’ about the video,” noted the London-based organization.
PEN International further reported that the public prosecutor requested a six-month prison sentence for Marthe. Her lawyers opposed this request, calling for a dismissal of the case due to the lack of a factual basis and procedural errors by the police and prosecution.
Marthe Nounfoh Fare, known for her strong advocacy for freedom of expression and women’s rights, has been released on bail and is scheduled to appear before court on July 15 for a sentencing hearing. “Marthe risks conviction if this glaring case of judicial harassment is not dismissed,” the organization warned.
PEN International urges the immediate dropping of all charges against her and calls for the protection of her right to freedom of expression.
AfrikPage
