In Togo, the Martin Luther King Movement (MLK) has voiced strong concerns over the continued ban on public demonstrations, calling it a violation of fundamental rights and freedoms.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the civil rights group noted that the ban, first enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, has since been repeatedly extended without justification.

MLK described the measure as unconstitutional and contrary to international human rights treaties to which Togo is a signatory.

The statement comes just days before a major demonstration planned in Lomé, raising tensions around civil liberties and public expression in the country.