Benin: Amnesty International responds after announcement of five prison deaths

Following the announcement of five deaths at Cotonou civil prison, Amnesty International Benin called on October 19 for an independent, impartial and prompt investigation to establish the circumstances and any responsibility. The organization said the state must protect the lives and dignity of people in detention and ensure adequate detention conditions. It noted that it had documented at least 46 prisoner deaths in four Beninese prisons between January and July 2023. Amnesty called for reduced pretrial detention and overcrowding, better access to drinking water and medical care, and systematic investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment.