Guadeloupe Family Appeals for Support as Accountant Detained in Togo Faces Decades in Prison
LOMÉ, Togo - The family of Steeve Rouyar, a 44-year-old chartered accountant from Guadeloupe, is urgently calling for mobilization as he remains detained in Togo, facing up to 30 years imprisonment on charges of aggravated public order offenses and endangering state security. Rouyar was arrested on June 6th during a presentation in Lomé against the 20-year rule of President Faure Gnassingbé.
The case has sparked concern for Rouyar’s well-being and prompted his father, Dominique Rouyar, to appeal to Guadeloupean citizens to pressure their elected officials for intervention. The situation highlights the risks faced by individuals participating in protests against the Gnassingbé regime and underscores the vulnerability of foreign nationals caught in political unrest. Without sustained advocacy, steeve Rouyar could remain imprisoned for years, perhaps facing harsh conditions and a lengthy sentence.
Rouyar relocated to Togo in November 2024 to establish an accounting firm. His arrest came during a protest against a proposed new constitution and rising electricity prices. His family first learned of his detention through social media reports on June 9th, identifying him as one of approximately fifty individuals arrested.
as the end of August, Rouyar was able to communicate with his family, describing “inhuman” detention conditions – an overcrowded cell lacking light – and reporting that he was losing weight. Though, dialogue has been cut off for the past three weeks, leaving his family in agonizing uncertainty.
“It’s been exactly three weeks since I have no news… So, at the limit, I don’t even know under what conditions it is detained,” Dominique Rouyar stated.
His father is now urging the peopel of Guadeloupe to amplify the family’s fight, transforming it into a territory-wide call for solidarity and action.
Timeline of Events:
* november 2024: Steeve Rouyar establishes an accounting firm in Togo.
* June 6, 2025: Rouyar is arrested in Lomé during a demonstration against the new constitution and increased electricity costs.
* June 9, 2025: Togolese authorities confirm the arrest of a French national among the fifty detainees; Rouyar’s family identifies him through social media.
