SECTOR 1 to ensure that there are as few restrictions as possible and that such restrictions as do exist are particularly well justified. “So what is the norm, then?”, wondered a panellist. The panel consequently concurred with the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa: “Any restrictions on freedom of expression shall be provided by law, serve a legitimate interest and be necessary in a democratic society”. In the final analysis it is a matter of how to limit the authority of the Head of State, whose function is supranational. The Head of State, using his power, had had journalists arrested for publishing information relating to the insanity of his son, which was reported in the social media4. 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: 3.4 (2007= 1.4; 2009 =1.5; 2011 =2.5) 1.4 The Government makes every effort to honour regional and international instruments on freedom of expression and freedom of the media. The Government of Benin has signed and ratified some twenty regional and international instruments. With regard to freedom of expression and freedom of the press, the country has signed and ratified unconditionally instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Union Treaty establishing the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Freedom of Association and the Protection of the Right to Organize, the Convention against Corruption, etc. There are also the international laws and regulations on the freedom of expression such as the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to which Benin is a party, that have been integrated into the country’s national legislation. 4 As a reminder, the editor of “La diaspora de Sabbat”, Virgile Linkpon, and the managing director of the newspaper, Fulric Richard Couao-Zotti, were taken in for questioning and held in custody in September 2006 and accused of publishing an article in which they stressed the state of “insanity” of the eldest son of President Yayi Boni. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2014 69