SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: ✓✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ 4.5 (2007 = 3.3; 2009 = 3.6; 2011 = 3.6; 2014 = 4.4) 1.2 The right to freedom of expression is practised and citizens, including journalists, are asserting their rights without fear In March 2018, the prefect of Littoral1 issued an order restricting the freedom of demonstration. The prefectural order established that: ‘Declarations of marches or public demonstrations with the aim of protesting, such as sit-ins or rallies, that are submitted to the Cotonou city hall or to the prefecture of Cotonou, are only admissible if the registration documents of the organisations making the declaration are attached to the said declaration.’ This order, strongly criticised by legal experts and civil society, was repealed by the Constitutional Court as being anti-constitutional through decision number Dcc 18-117 of 22 May 2018. Nevertheless, the new Penal Code, which was adopted in parliament at the beginning of June 2018 and which has not yet been promulgated, provides for restrictive provisions on freedom of demonstration. Citizens suspect that their telephones are wire-tapped and their conversations monitored. Thought leaders, notably journalists and politicians feel particularly vulnerable. This is difficult to verify, but has nevertheless created an atmosphere of fear. Even officials of the government are afraid to use their phones to discuss sensitive matters. ‘Some only speak face-to-face and at home,’ said a panel member, describing his personal experience. ‘Everyone is now using secure messaging applications such as Signal and WhatsApp, fearing that their phone calls might be intercepted.’ According to the panellists, the authorities, including the security forces, use many tactics to silence the population. Journalists say it is common for them to receive verbal threats on the phone after they have published or broadcast information that is critical of the government. Journalists on the panel noted that it has become increasingly difficult to invite public figures to their radio and TV programmes, as the level of fear has worsened 1 10 A department in the South of Benin. Benin is divided into 12 departments and subdivided into 77 communes. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2018