The Togolese government has summoned the European Union’s ambassador to Lomé in protest against a European Parliament resolution demanding the release of an Irish-Togolese activist jailed in the country, according to an official document seen by AFP.
The resolution, adopted on Thursday, called on Togolese authorities to free Abdoul Aziz Goma, who was sentenced in February to 10 years in prison along with 13 others for “plotting against internal security” after participating in banned opposition protests in 2018.
European lawmakers condemned his continued detention, alleging that Goma has been held “in secret” and subjected to “torture.”
In a diplomatic note, Togo’s foreign ministry dismissed the resolution as “a clear interference in a purely judicial and sovereign issue,” insisting that the case remains a matter for its national courts.
The move comes amid renewed political tensions in Togo, where deadly demonstrations have erupted this year over controversial constitutional reforms that opposition leaders warn will entrench President Faure Gnassingbé’s hold on power after more than 20 years in office.
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