On the case of Abdoul Aziz Goma, arbitrarily detained in Togo

B100379/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Abdoul Aziz Goma, arbitrarily detained in Togo

(2025/2862(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to Opinion 39/2023 adopted by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 1 September 2023,

having regard to the seventh periodic report of Togo adopted by the UN Committee Against Torture, concluded in July 2019,

having regard to the Samoa Agreement,

having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas Abdoul Aziz Goma, an Irish citizen, was arrested and detained in Togo in December 2018 on charges of assisting local protestors in relation to pre-election protests;

whereas Aziz Goma was held in pre-trial detention for over six years; whereas a one-day trial took place on 3 February 2025 and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment;

whereas human rights organisations have reported that Aziz Goma has been subject to torture, and denied adequate food, healthcare and access to a lawyer;

whereas in 2023 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that the rights of Aziz Goma to freedom of assembly, association, and fair trial were violated;

whereas the health of Aziz Goma has significantly deteriorated while imprisoned; whereas in August 2025 he began a hunger strike and was subsequently admitted to hospital with rapidly worsening health concerns;

whereas the civil prison in Lomé is extremely overcrowded; whereas this has led to conditions which fail to meet international standards, including lack of adequate space, food or medical treatment; whereas in 2019 the UN Committee against Torture advised the Togolese authorities to close the prison;

Deplores the treatment of Abdoul Aziz Goma and expresses its solidarity with him;

Calls for his immediate and unconditional release;

Expresses strong concern for Aziz Goma’s physical and mental health; urges the Togolese authorities to take immediate measures on humanitarian grounds to ensure his wellbeing;

Insists that Aziz Goma’s right to adequate food, healthcare, and access to a lawyer are fully respected;

Calls on the Togolese authorities to uphold national and international obligations to ensure humane prison conditions and the eradication of torture; urges the authorities to work closely with the UN and other international bodies to advance this work;

Calls on the Togolese judiciary to uphold international standards for fair trials, and to end the practice of long pre-trial detention;

Insists that the right to freedom of assembly and expression must be protected; urges the authorities to take further steps to ensure adequate space for civil society, including peaceful protestors and human rights defenders, to operate;

Calls on the Commission and EEAS in Lomé to intensify dialogue with the Togolese authorities for the release of Aziz Goma and the advancement of civil and judicial reform;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HRVP, and the Government and Parliament of Togo.