An ex-minister’s silent protest behind bars

Since July 27, 2026, former Togolese defense minister Marguerite Gnakadé has refused all food inside a prison cell. Her hunger strike, now entering its fourth month, serves as a stark protest against what her supporters describe as systematic mistreatment of political detainees in Togo. Eleven months after her arrest following public criticism of President Faure Gnassingbé‘s governance, she embodies the struggle of over sixty imprisoned activists still denied justice.

The spark that led to detention

On August 30, 2025, as Lomé erupted in protests against rising living costs and a controversial constitutional reform that transformed Togo from a presidential to a parliamentary system, Marguerite Gnakadé took to the streets. As Togo’s first female defense minister (2020-2022), she had served despite lacking military background, and was even connected to the president through family ties—being the widow of his late brother. Security forces intervened before she could voice her dissent publicly, but her subsequent arrest on September 17, 2025 marked the beginning of her ordeal.

From political elite to prisoner of conscience

Marguerite Gnakadé’s journey from cabinet member to detainee reflects the shifting lines of power in Togo. While her past proximity to the ruling circle might have shielded others, her decision to join the 2025 youth-led protests against the constitutional changes stripped her of that protection. “We don’t fast out of despair, but from conviction. When justice fails, our bodies become the only language left.” This collective statement from hunger-striking detainees in November 2025 underscores the desperation driving their actions.

A growing wave of resistance through starvation

Gnakadé’s strike is not an isolated act. Since late 2025, food refusal has emerged as a last-resort tactic among Togo’s political prisoners. In November, thirty-seven detainees initiated a collective fast. By December, activists Grâce Koumayi and dual national Abdoul Aziz Goma endured fifty days without food at Lomé’s central prison, forcing prison authorities to address their demands. Human rights groups continue demanding immediate medical access for all hunger-striking detainees, including those whose health is deteriorating after months without adequate care.

Contrasting fates of former officials in detention

While Gnakadé’s case draws attention, she shares detention space with other once-powerful figures whose circumstances differ markedly. Kpatcha Gnassingbé, the president’s half-brother and former defense minister, spent sixteen years imprisoned for alleged coup plotting before receiving presidential clemency in December 2025. Meanwhile, General Félix Kadanga, former army chief of staff, has served since 2023 a twenty-year sentence for alleged involvement in a colonel’s murder. Unlike them, Gnakadé remains detained solely for exercising her right to criticize government policies—a charge that highlights the regime’s tightening grip on dissent.

Constitutional shake-up fuels unrest

The 2024 constitutional reform that abolished presidential term limits and installed Faure Gnassingbé as prime minister has intensified political tensions. Opposition groups labeled the change a ‘constitutional coup’, sparking the 2025 Gen Z-led protests that met severe repression. Subsequent arrests swelled the ranks of political prisoners, though a December 2025 amnesty freed 1,511 detainees. Civil society groups estimate that around seventy remain incarcerated for their beliefs, with nine reportedly dying in custody since the crackdown began.

Civil society presses for urgent action

The ‘Hands Off My Constitution’ movement and opposition parties continue advocating for the immediate release of all political prisoners. They cite reports of torture, medical neglect, and deaths in detention, including cases where survivors bear permanent injuries. Their demands extend to ensuring proper healthcare for hunger strikers like Marguerite Gnakadé, whose condition has worsened after nearly a year behind bars without proper treatment.