Former defence minister and outspoken government critic Marguerite Gnakadé, the sister-in-law of President Faure Gnassingbé, has been arrested, according to security sources. Local outlets said she was detained at her home in the capital on Wednesday.
A police source told AFP she was held over “serious acts,” including a recent speech urging the military to side with the public to end six decades of family rule. Gnakadé has in recent months published articles calling for Gnassingbé’s resignation and a “peaceful, inclusive national transition,” and voiced support for street protests.
Togo has faced deadly demonstrations demanding the release of political detainees and the president’s departure. Gnassingbé has led since 2005, succeeding his father, Gnassingbé Éyadéma, who ruled from 1967. A recent constitutional overhaul created the post of President of the Council of Ministers—sworn in by Gnassingbé in May—with no formal term limits, intensifying public anger.
Gnakadé, widow of the president’s late elder brother Ernest Gnassingbé, served as defence minister from 2020 to 2022, one of the first women to hold the portfolio. News of her arrest spread rapidly on social media. She is being questioned; some reports allege links to exiled opposition figures and efforts to incite disobedience in the armed forces. Judicial sources cited by local media say such offences could carry 10–20 years in prison if proven.
Opposition coalition Touche Pas À Ma Constitution condemned what it called a warrantless arrest by “hooded” officers and demanded Gnakadé’s immediate release along with other political detainees. Youth movement M66 issued a 72-hour ultimatum, threatening nationwide protests if she is not freed.
In June, civil society groups reported at least seven deaths amid a crackdown on anti-government protests, saying bodies were recovered from rivers in the capital. The government denied any link between those deaths and the demonstrations. The authorities have not publicly detailed the charges against Gnakadé.