Former Benin President Under Virtual House Arrest, Lawyers Say

(Bloomberg) -- Benin has placed former President Thomas Boni Yayi under virtual house arrest following his support for protests against controversial legislative elections in April, according to his lawyers.

Political tension has run high in the West African nation since the vote in which only two parties loyal to President Patrice Talon were allowed to run. While judicial authorities are seeking to hear Yayi, the 67-year-old’s health is deteriorating and he needs medical attention first, his lawyers, Paul Kato Atita and Renaud Agbodjo, told reporters Saturday.

Yayi, who served as president from 2006 to 2016, led an improvised demonstration on April 19 to call for a delay of the vote. Ten days later, at least four people died when security forces used live ammunition to disperse a protest near his house in the commercial capital, Cotonou. Police have been deployed in the area since, blocking him from leaving or receiving visitors, according to the lawyers. A judge of inquiry went to his house on Thursday to serve him a letter seeking a hearing.

Talon, a wealthy businessman whose entry into politics was initially hailed as a departure from the domination of the entrenched political class, has clamped down on the media, curbed the right to strike and used the army to quell protests since his victory in 2016 presidential elections. While he has acknowledged that the legislative vote was “bad” for democracy, he said last month that reforms are needed to address the failures of the multiparty voting system.

To contact the reporter on this story: Virgile Ahissou in Cotonou at vahissou@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Pauline Bax, Jon Menon

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