The sister-in-law of Togo chief was arrested after calling for the end of Gnassingbé Rule

A former Minister of Defense and Vocal Criticism of the Government of Togo, Marguerite Gnakadé, was arrested, according to security sources.

Gnakadé, the sister-in-law of longtime leader Faure Gnassingbé, recently called for her resignation and urged the military to stand with the people in the decades of dynastic.

“She was arrested for serious acts, including her recent public appearance encouraging the military to rebellion,” a police source told AFP’s news agency. Local media reported that she was arrested by security forces at her home in the capital Lomé on Wednesday.

Togo has recently been seized by deadly demonstrations calling for Gnassingbé to resign and release political prisoners.

The demonstrations occurred in the midst of popular anger and growing fatigue with a family diet that has been in power for six decades. Gnassingbé, who has run the country since 2005, succeeded his father Gnassingbé Éyadéma, who had reigned for 38 years from 1967.

A new constitutional structure which has enabled Gnassingbé to extend its grip in power while moving on to a new role as president of the Council of Ministers has further fueled the demonstrations.

Gnassingbé was in May under the new position, which is the highest post in the executive power of the government and has no limits of an official mandate.

In recent months, Gnakadé has written articles criticizing Gnassingbé, in particular by asking him to resign and give way to a “peaceful, inclusive and national transition”. She also supported demonstrations against her leadership.

Gnakadé, widow of Ernest Gnassingbé, the older brother of Faure Gnassingbé, was Minister of Defense from 2020 to 2022.

She was one of the first women to occupy such a strategic government position, and her government’s vocal criticism is an important change.

The news of his arrest has become viral on social networks.

She is currently questioned by the authorities. Some reports suggest that the accusations against it are linked to alleged ties with exiled opposition figures and attempted incentives for disobedience within the armed forces.

Some sources indicate that it can be accused of acts that could compromise the stability of the military institution.

These allegations would constitute serious offenses if they were proven and, according to judicial sources, it could incur a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 20 years if it was found guilty.

The next few days are expected to give more clarity concerning the precise reasons for the arrest of Gnakadé.

On Wednesday, a group of opposition and group parties of civil society, not touched a constitution of master’s degree (do not touch my constitution), condemned its arrest, claiming that it had been carried out by “hooded security guards” without mandate “.

“Once again, it is an abuse of power that characterizes the retrograde practices of the regime. The goal is to silence a dissident voice,” he said in a statement.

The group demanded its immediate release without conditions, as well as freedom for all those detained for their political opinions.

A movement led by young people known as M66 also gave a 72 -hour ultimatum demanding its release, warning that they call for demonstrations nationwide if it is not done.

In June, at least seven people were killed during a repression against demonstrations against the Togolese chief, civil rights groups said. The bodies were recovered from the rivers in the capital.

However, the government denied that deaths were linked to demonstrations.