ISTANBUL
A special court in the West African country of Benin on Tuesday remanded in custody 31 people, including one civilian, over a failed coup attempt earlier this month, according to local media.
The suspects, 30 military personnel and one civilian, appeared before the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism on Monday for hearings that ran late into the night, local news website 24 Heures Au Benin reported.
The accused face serious charges, including treason, murder, and offenses against the security of the state.
In the Dec. 7 coup attempt, a group of soldiers led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri seized the national television station in Cotonou and announced the overthrow of President Patrice Talon’s government.
The group was quickly subdued by loyalist forces, with support from Nigeria, preventing the rebels from consolidating control.
Later that day, Talon addressed the nation, declaring the plot foiled, condemning the perpetrators as mutineers, and vowing that those involved would face justice.
