Event Summary
Jean-François Kouassi, a young Ivorian political activist known by the acronym JFK and presenting himself as the “president of the youth,” was arrested on 8 January 2026, in Abidjan, in the 1st district of Plateau, following a police operation.
His arrest followed his outspoken posts on social media, in which he denounced irregularities in public service recruitment exams, including the alleged sale of customs positions and nepotistic practices within the Ministry of Public Service. Consequently, on 12 January 2026, he was brought before the public prosecutor and placed in pre-trial detention, charged with disturbing public order, defamation, dissemination of false information, and malicious denunciation.
Subsequently, on 26 January 2026, the Court of First Instance of Abidjan sentenced him to fifteen days of firm imprisonment, in addition to an eight-month suspended sentence and a fine of 500,000 CFA francs. He served his sentence and was released on 27 January 2026.