Togo, Joel Egah editor of the weekly investigative newspaper Fraternité buried in Lomé

Journalist Joel Egah, 43 years, was buried in Lomé on Saturday 19 March 2022.
He suddenly died nearly two weeks earlier, on Sunday 6 March 2022, after felling faint at home.

The cause of his death is not known, as his family — presumably out of fear — declined the call by Patronat de la Presse Togolaise (PPT) for an autopsy to be performed.

He leaves behind his wife, five young children and his parents.

He was a model of dedication and professionalism. His death is a great loss for the journalism sector in Togo.

Joel Egah was the editor of the weekly investigative newspaper Fraternité:

– On 30 March 2020, his newspaper was arbitrarily suspended for two months, for criticising couple of decisions by the media regulatory authority (HAAC). See:

Togo. La suspension d’un journal met la liberté d’expression à rude épreuve

– Then, on 10 December 2021, he was arbitrarily imprisoned for 21 days before being released on parole, for criticising two members of the government in web TV show broadcast on Youtube. See:

Togo : La détention arbitraire de deux journalistes confirme la volonté de faire taire les voix dissidentes

Since 2020, there has been backsliding of press freedom, freedom of expression, civic space (with a general and absolute ban on public demonstrations under the guise of the fight against Covid-19) and trade union freedom in Togo. See:
https://www.amnesty.org/fr/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/03/AFR-5753512022-3.pdf

Togo’s 55 year-long ruling regime – a dynasty – is currently the fifth longest-serving among the world’s republics (behind those of North Korea, China, Vietnam and Cuba).

Togo Focus (an advocacy group for the rule of law in Togo created in 2005 in Paris)
Media contact: kdtej-media@yahoo.com