(RSF/IFEX) – Mamane Abou, editor of the private weekly “Le Républicain”, was sentenced to six months in prison on 7 November 2003, in the capital, Niamey. “This sentence is nonsense. This journalists was only doing his job and nothing can justify such a heavy sentence. Moreover, the court did not follow the normal legal procedure. […]
(RSF/IFEX) – Mamane Abou, editor of the private weekly “Le Républicain”, was sentenced to six months in prison on 7 November 2003, in the capital, Niamey.
“This sentence is nonsense. This journalists was only doing his job and nothing can justify such a heavy sentence. Moreover, the court did not follow the normal legal procedure. Mamane Abou was sentenced in absentia, yet he is being held at Niamey prison,” RSF said in a statement.
“The journalist’s lawyers were not even informed of the decision against their client. This has become a political matter. The authorities have sentenced the journalist secretly, without informing anyone. Niger boasts that it is a democracy and a country in which the rule of law is respected. Yet this case represents a serious decline for free expression in the country,” RSF added.
According to RSF’s information, Abou was sentenced in absentia to six months in prison with no parole on 7 November. He was also fined 300,000 CFA francs (approx. US$525) and was ordered to pay 10 million CFA francs (approx. US$17,500) in damages and interest for “defamation”. When contacted by RSF, Oumarou Soulé, one of the journalist’s lawyers, expressed shock that the regular procedure was not followed during the trial. “We plan to appeal the decision immediately,” he said.
Abou has been detained at Niamey’s civilian prison since 5 November. He is accused of publishing confidential Finance Ministry documents indicating that the finance minister had misappropriated funds.
