Around 30 people, mostly soldiers, were jailed in Benin on Tuesday over their alleged involvement in this month’s foiled coup attempt, legal sources told AFP, while several suspects remain at large.
On December 7, soldiers briefly appeared on national television to announce the overthrow of President Patrice Talon. Loyalist forces, backed by the Nigerian air force and French special forces, quickly crushed the attempted putsch.
Several people were k!lled during the unrest, and the alleged coup leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, along with other mutineers, are still on the run.
According to sources, the accused appeared before a special prosecutor at the court for economic crimes and terrorism in Cotonou on Monday.
They were placed in pre-trial detention the following day. The charges include “treason,” “murder,” and “endangering state security,” the sources said. AFP journalists reported a heavy security presence around the court.
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