A court in Togo has jailed opposition supporters who participated in a protest calling for an end to the Gnassingbe dynasty.
15 of such protesters belonging to the opposition party, Pan African National Party (PAN) include its Secretary General, Dr. Kossi Sama, according to Africa News.
Those convicted will now spend between five and nine months in prison for damaging damaging public property.
A lawyer to those jailed, Paul Dodi Apevon is quoted to have said that “All they’ve said today is that people damaged public property, but no-one has testified to this.”
“There is nothing in the prosecution case that names a witness who could prove that they were seen somewhere doing a specific crime,” he added.
Two protesters were killed and 13 others wounded in Togo on August 19 when security forces opened fire to break up demonstrations calling for the Gnassingbe dynasty in the West African nation to end.
The opposition coalition has planned another round of protests in the coming week.
On Tuesday a pro-government demonstration was held. It was led by Prime Minister Selorm Klassou who was joined by other state functionaries and supporters of the ruling Rally of the Togolese People (RTP).
President Faure Gnassingbe has been in power in Togo since the death in 2005 of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had been at the helm for 38 years.
Source: Africafeeds.com
