The Media Foundation for West Africa welcomes the lifting of the suspension of Le Patriote newspaper and Benin Web TV by the media regulator, Haute Autorité de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication (HAAC).
On May 20, 2025, the HAAC lifted the sanctions imposed on the newspaper, Le Patriote and the online news platform, Benin Web TV. The two media outlets suspended on January 21, 2025 and March 12, 2025 respectively can now restore their operations.
On January 21, 2025, Le Patriote newspaper was suspended by the media regulator until further notice. The HAAC accused the newspaper of publishing defamatory content.
In the case of Benin Web TV, the HAAC suspended it on March 11, 2025 until further notice. The press card of the Director, Paul Arnaud Deguenon was also revoked. The sanctions were imposed following an article the media platform published questioning the HAAC’s annual budget submitted to the Ministry of the Economy.
The suspension of the two media platforms were lifted following a review of the appeals lodged by the two platforms. The decision, signed on May 20, was officially communicated on Thursday May 22, 2025.
The MFWA welcomes the decision of the HAAC to lift the suspension of Le Patriote and Benin Web TV. We encourage the media regulator to always resort to dialogue and amicable resolution of concerns in the sector while continuously exploring and working with other stakeholders in the sector to improve professional standards in the media.
The MFWA also calls on the HAAC to reconsider the sanctions imposed on the L’Audace Infos newspaper; and the online news platforms Reporter Médias Monde, Crystal News, Les Pharaons and Le Patriote’s website; as well as the “Madame Actu” TikTok account. The continuous suspension of these platforms does not only constitute a violation against press freedom, but also denies the public’s right to access information – both of which are rights guaranteed by Benin’s Constitution.
