HRF welcomes the judgment from the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) declaring that Togo’s dictator Faure Gnassingbé carried out an unconstitutional power grab in 2024. Gnassingbé’s undemocratic constitutional manipulation has enabled him to increase his powers in a new position and secure his indefinite rule.
In a decision made public on June 25, a panel of three judges of the ECOWAS Court of Justice found that the Togolese regime’s March 2024 constitutional amendments — which eliminated direct presidential elections, established a parliamentary system, and paved the way for Gnassingbé’s indefinite rule — constituted an “unconstitutional change of government.” The judicial panel ruled that the constitutional changes violated the democratic principles of the country as well as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance because they were passed by a parliament whose mandate had expired.
The case stems from a petition brought by the Togolese Human Rights League (LTDH) along with 12 other civil society groups seeking to overturn the constitutional change. It argued that the changes, which were rushed through without serious public debate and consultation, unlawfully restricted political participation and fundamental freedoms. The Togolese regime ignored the case and did not attempt to present a defense.
