In September, the European Parliament adopted urgent resolutions, including on Togo, stating that Togolese authorities must unconditionally release political prisoners and comply with the recommendations of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
In particular, the Irish-Togolese citizen Abdul Aziz Goma must be released immediately and unconditionally, the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) demand. They condemn Goma’s ongoing solitary confinement and torture and call on the Togolese authorities to ensure his medical care and annul his sentence.
The MEPs further urge the Togolese authorities to reform the country’s prison system, emphasizing compliance with the resolutions of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the UN Committee Against Torture. They also strongly call on Togo to guarantee freedom of assembly and expression. The arbitrary detention and torture of political opponents or individuals considered critical of the government undermine the rule of law and democratic governance in Togo, the MEPs stress.
Abdul Aziz Goma has been held in pre-trial detention for more than six years after participating in a banned opposition protest in 2018 that called for presidential term limits. Reports indicate that his health has deteriorated and that he has been severely tortured in detention. Following the publication of the resolution, Togolese authorities summoned the European Union Ambassador, Gwilym Ceri Jones. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the summons was intended to “clarify” the EU’s position and emphasized that the Togolese judiciary operates independently.
In diplomatic language, a summons constitutes a lower level of diplomatic sanction in response to an event or statement by the state or government represented by the ambassador. Such a sanction—positioned between an informal invitation and the delivery of a protest note—is permitted under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations but is highly unusual between states maintaining friendly relations.